Council to review guidance on assessment of Blue Badge applications after Ombudsman investigation finds flaws
The London Borough of Hackney has agreed to review the guidance it gives to its assessors who handle applications for a Blue Badge, after a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) investigation suggested that the local authority’s approach was contrary to government guidance.
The LGSCO said drivers in Hackney who have been refused a Blue Badge can apply to have their cases reassessed.
This follows an investigation into a woman’s complaint that Hackney had not renewed her badge, despite evidence she provided including letters of support from her GP and physiotherapist, medication she took for her pain and details of adaptions to her home.
According to the Ombudsman, the council invited the woman to its assessment centre where it decided she had not scored enough points to qualify for a renewal of her Blue Badge.
Hackney was said to have used its own supplementary scoring guidance in making this decision.
The LGSCO found that the council’s scoring guidance “meant it was very difficult for people with disabilities to qualify for a permit because it required applicants to have multiple ‘factors’. This is contrary to government guidance.”
The Ombudsman called on Hackney to:
- apologise to the woman
- pay her £500 to reflect the distress caused
- review her eligibility for a Blue Badge once it has carried out a review of its policy
- review its supplementary guidance given to assessors to ensure it is compatible with Government guidance and its own Mobility Assessment Guidance, and
- write to all applicants refused a Blue Badge since January 2024 inviting them to reapply.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, Amerdeep Somal, said: “Blue Badges can be a lifeline for people with disabilities and mobility issues, offering them an element of freedom and independence by allowing them to park closer to places which they may otherwise not be able to reach.
“Because the council used flawed guidance to assess residents’ Blue Badge applications, it is likely more people in the borough have also been denied a Blue Badge when they would have qualified had Hackney’s guidance followed that of the Government.
“I am pleased the council has now agreed to write to everyone affected since January 2024 and invite them to reapply after it has reviewed its policy.”
A spokesperson for Hackney Council said: “We have a responsibility to ensure disabled people in Hackney get the help and support they are entitled to, and it is clear that there are opportunities for learning in this instance.
“While we are confident that the majority of blue badge applications are assessed correctly, we have accepted the findings of the Ombudsman’s investigation and are now reviewing the guidance we give our assessors to ensure our processes are fair and robust.”
They added: “Anyone in Hackney who has had a blue badge application refused since January 2024 will now receive a letter with the opportunity to have their application reassessed. We will do this once we have updated our procedures and by 1 June.
“We are also contacting the resident affected directly to offer a full apology for the distress caused.”
