Tough crackdown on Blue Badge abuse

Transport Minister Paul Clark has announced a radical overhaul of the Blue Badge scheme. Up to £55 million will be dedicated to ensuring that the disabled parking scheme meets the needs of the 21st century.

Reducing fraud

For the first time the government is looking to give councils the power to confiscate stolen or forged Blue Badges immediately when they find them. This is to help reduce Blue Badge associated vehicle crime, as well as safeguarding key parking close to vital services, for those who need it most. 73% of respondents to a recent Blue Badge consultation highlighted this as a key way to fight abuse of the scheme.

The biggest review of the Blue Badge, since it was created in 1971, will also enable more people than ever to retain their independence. The strategy commits to extending the scheme to seriously disabled Armed Forces personnel and veterans, people with temporary but serious mobility problems, young children with specific disablities and individuals with severe mental impairments.

Paul Clark said: "The Blue Badge already provides a vital lifeline for more than 2.3 million disabled people in England. It helps them retain their independence by making it easier to access vital services, visit friends and family, as well as to seek work or education. That is why it is so important to make sure that it meets the needs of today's society.

"Two thirds of councils tell us abuse of the scheme is a major issue - and that around 1 in every 200 badges in circulation are reported as stolen each year. With forged or stolen Badges reportedly being sold on the black market for up to £1,500 a time, it is time to get tough and stop Blue Badge abuse and vehicle crime. Alongside this we need to make sure that everyone who needs a Badge receives one, and that is why I have announced that we will be extending the scope of the scheme."

Greater security

New efforts to fight fraud and abuse of the Blue Badge scheme include:

• establishing a national system of data sharing to identify Blue Badge cheats. The Government hope to complement this with new legal powers that will allow parking enforcement officers to seize lost, stolen and fraudulent Blue Badge
• upgrading the Badge security features, such as barcodes that can be read through windscreens, to make the Badge harder to forge
• conducting a national publicity campaign to highlight the strategy
• supporting the British Retail Consortium to reduce abuse in their members' off-street car parks, such as supermarket car parks.

A new system of assessing eligibility for the Blue Badge is also being developed, with dedicated independent medical assessors, who will ensure that only those who really need a Badge receive one. This will standardise assessments throughout the country, and lighten the workload of GPs who currently carry out individual assessments in many areas.

22.01.09

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