With a severely disabled person's pass, you are entitled to compensation for disadvantages. But until the corresponding application is approved, it is often a long and rocky road.
Berlin – There are almost 87 million people in the EU who have a severe disability. The type of disability can be very different: There are people who are walking or visually impaired, some have a serious illness such as cancer or rheumatism, others suffer from psychological complaints such as depression.
In order to simplify the lives of severely disabled persons, there is the severely disabled person's card. In this way, these people receive compensation for disadvantages and benefits that are intended to make life easier. But as Anieke Fimmen from the Social Association of Germany explains, it is not always so easy to actually get the card.
Application for a severely disabled person's pass can take months or even years
The decisive factor for an application for severe disability is first of all the degree of disability (GdB), which can be determined by a doctor. From a GdB of 50, you are considered severely disabled and can therefore get a severely disabled person's pass. The lowest GdB is 20, the highest 100. After the consultation with the doctor, the application can be submitted to the local pension office. There it will be decided whether the ID card will be issued.
So much for the theory. In practice, however, it is more complicated. "The grueling thing about it is that it can sometimes take months or even years to get your ID," says Anieke Fimmen. She is a consultant for disability policy at the Social Association of Germany, so she also talks to those affected again and again who know how to go to the office well. "For example, I recently spoke to an elderly woman who told me that she just wanted to get across the parking lot safely and use a disabled parking space."
With a severely disabled person's pass, you get a lot of compensation for disadvantages. © Imago
From the expert's point of view, there are two main reasons why it often takes so long. On the one hand, "many cogs would have to mesh". For example, those affected would have to talk to a doctor they trust. After all, when applying for severe disability, it is not only the illness or disability itself that counts. "You have to explain how this affects your whole life," says Fimmen.
Anyone who suffers from rheumatism, for example, does not receive a severely disabled person's pass because of the diagnosis. Instead, the person concerned must declare, for example, that he or she cannot work longer than half a day or that he or she suffers from severely disturbed sleep. The more concrete, the better.
Overburdening pension offices is part of the problem
So you have to be able to talk openly with a doctor. This person can then issue a document recommending the determination of a severe disability. This means that those affected then have to go to the pension office, where the official application is made. Depending on the staffing situation, processing may then take time. "The office sits in front of a mountain of files and does not see the person," says Anieke Fimmen.
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Ideally, the experts at the pension office should call the person concerned again if they are unclear and talk to them directly. "But they don't have to. Good reviewers do that. But it's not mandatory," says the expert. If there is also a shortage of staff or the mountain of files becomes too large, it may be that decisions are simply made on the basis of the files. "Of course, this is very bitter for those affected."
The expert's advice: If in doubt, change doctors
The second reason why, from Anieke Fimmen's point of view, the severely disabled passes are so difficult to get is due to shame. If you are afraid of the "stamp" of severe disability, you may not be honest with your doctor. This means that they cannot give an accurate picture, so that the pension offices decide against the person concerned in case of doubt. And then it all starts all over again.
Anieke Fimmen advises those affected two things: "The first conversation with the doctor is the gateway. The doctor is the advocate of those affected!" You should also not be afraid to change doctors in case of doubt if the trust is not there. And then she advises to seek advice. There are numerous social institutions and sponsors who are very familiar with the process. "This often helps to clear up the fairy tales before the application," says the expert.
Finally, Anieke Fimmen emphasizes how important and helpful it can be to actually make use of the disadvantage compensation. With a severely disabled pass, for example, you can get more vacation, retire earlier, travel free of charge on the regional train or get a parking permit. This can make life at least a little easier for affected people.
