Autumn 2008
My elderly mother is very frail and can't walk very far at all. She doesn't drive herself, but I usually take her to hospital appointments and family visits and so on. Would I be able to get a blue badge on her behalf?
The Blue Badge scheme allows disabled people to park in restricted areas, for example to park free of charge and without time limit at on-street parking meters. Your mother will automatically qualify for a blue badge if she receives the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance or war pensioners' mobility supplement, or if she is registered blind. She may also qualify if she has a permanent and substantial disability which means she is unable to walk, or can walk only with considerable difficulty.
To apply for a blue badge in England and Wales, you need to contact your local authority. If you are driving with your mother as a passenger, you will be able to use her blue badge to pick her up, drop her off, and ensure you can park close to where she needs to be. But it is a criminal offence to misuse a blue badge, and it can lead to a £1,000 fine, so she should never let anyone else borrow the badge for their own use.The Blue Badge Helpline can give you more information about using the scheme. The Helpline number is 020 7944 2914 or 0161 367 0009. You can also find more information on the Department for Transport website at: www.mobility-unit.dft.gov.uk.
My father died recently and we are having great trouble locating his will. We know he made one, but the solicitor he dealt with originally, and where the will was left for safekeeping, has gone out of business. Is there any way of tracing its whereabouts?
Start by checking to see if your father kept a copy of his will, and contact the Law Society to try and trace what happened to documents deposited with your father's original solicitor. You could also check if your father's will has been placed at the Principal Registry of the Family Division of the High Court, a District Registry or Probate Sub-Registry for safe keeping.
You can write to The York Probate Sub-Registry, 1st Floor, Castle Chambers, Clifford Street, York YO1 9RG (Tel: 01904 666777) to request a copy of a will by post. You will need to provide your father's full name, date of death and last known address and pay a fee of £5.
You can also make a personal search free of charge by going to the Principal Registry of the Family Division, First Avenue House, 42-49 High Holborn, London WC1V 6NP (Tel: 020 7947 6000). If you want to inspect or take a copy of the will, there is a fee of £5.
For more information about making a will or what to do when someone dies, go to the Citizens Advice website www.adviceguide.org.uk
I have to take time off work to have a foot operation. Am I entitled to sick pay and how much will I get?
You will be eligible for statutory sick pay (SSP) after you are off work for at least four days in a row and you earn more than £90 a week. This is the minimum amount you can be paid you when you are off work sick, but your contract of employment may give you extra rights to more sick pay than this, so check your contract to see what you are entitled to.
Most workers qualify for SSP, including part-time workers and workers on a fixed-term contract. Agency workers may also be entitled to SSP but should get advice as the legal situation is complicated. SSP can last for up to 28 weeks, and contractual sick pay may last for longer. Check your employment contract to see if this applies to you.
If you cannot get SSP, or if you have been off sick for more than 28 weeks, your employer should give you form SSP1 and tell you why you cannot get SSP. You can use this form to claim incapacity benefit from your local benefit office if you are not entitled to either SSP or contractual sick pay.
You will be paid either SSP, or, if your contract of employment gives you more pay when you are off sick, you will be paid what it says in your contract. This might not be your normal rate of pay, but it should not be less than SSP.
SSP is paid at a fixed weekly rate of £75.40 if you work full-time, pro-rata for part-timers. If SSP is your only income whilst you are off sick you may be able to claim other benefits such as housing benefit.
For more information and advice go to the Citizens Advice website: www.adviceguide.org.uk
Last updated: July 28, 2008