The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been told it must end a benefit for disabled claimants, as calls intensify to clamp down on Blue Badge abuse. The number of permits issued has soared, with one in 20 people in Britain now holding a badge, according to the AA.
Rise in Hidden Disability Permits
The AA has urged a crackdown on illegitimate use after figures revealed that the number of passes for so-called hidden disabilities has trebled from 18,000 in 2021 to 55,000 last year. This surge follows rule changes introduced in 2019 that allowed people with invisible conditions, such as anxiety and ADHD, to apply for badges. The Telegraph reports that councils are handing out thousands of these permits.
Blue Badge Benefits and Concerns
The permits, which must be renewed every three years, enable people with disabilities or health conditions to park closer to shops and services. In London, holders are also exempt from the £18 daily congestion charge. However, concerns about misuse are growing.
Edmund King, president of the AA, stated: “The blue badge scheme is a mobility lifeline for millions of legitimate users and their families. Our concern is not the absolute number of badges issued but the estimates that up to one in five badges may be used by someone other than the holder or authorised user. Fraud is an issue which can include family misuse, use after death, counterfeit badges and theft and resale of badges. We would welcome a crackdown on illegitimate use of badges to safeguard the deserving users.”
Local Government and DWP Response
A Local Government Association spokesperson commented: “Although the vast majority of badges are used correctly, there is a small minority who fraudulently use other people’s, either to save money by parking in disabled bays or through laziness, depriving someone with a genuine need. To help councils win the fight against blue badge fraud, residents must keep tipping councils off about people they suspect are illegally using a badge, bearing in mind people’s need for a badge might not be obvious.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson added: “Exploitation and abuse of the blue badge scheme is completely unacceptable and is a criminal offence. Local authorities have been given improved powers to crack down on fraud and misuse in their area, and work closely with the police.”
