Central Beds Council forced to apologise after conducting 'flawed' assessment for blue badge application

A fresh blue badge application can be submitted by a Central Bedfordshire resident with any fresh medical evidence, after an initial attempt to be granted one was refused, according to a local government watchdog’s report.

An apology was issued to the applicant by Central Bedfordshire Council over a delay to its response to his request, said the report from the local government and social care ombudsman.

The complainant, referred to as Mr X, said the local authority “refused to issue him with a blue badge for parking and delayed dealing with his application for about six months”.

He accused CBC of “conducting a flawed mobility assessment on him and effectively ignoring the medical evidence he provided to support his application”.

Mr X has medical conditions which affect his mobility and breathing, explained the report. “He claimed the delay in the process and how it was conducted caused him distress.”

But the ombudsman said the council’s responses to his complaint show officers took account of the information he provided.

“It was after their consideration of his application and supporting documents that officers invited Mr X to a face-to-face assessment. Officers took the view after considering the information that he might be eligible for a blue badge, subject to further assessment.

“The assessor noted his actions at the assessment, including the distance he walked and the time taken, the impact of the walk on his breathing and levels of reported pain.

“Based on the information gathered at the assessment, the assessor took the view that Mr X’s mobility and conditions didn’t mean he experienced very considerable difficulty when walking, which was the high threshold set for blue badge eligibility here.

“The assessor, in line with the national guidance, decided he didn’t qualify for a blue badge. Mr X considers the face-to-face assessment was flawed.

“But there’s not enough evidence of fault in the way the assessment was conducted in line with the guidance to warrant us investigating. I recognise he disagrees with the council’s decision on his application.

“It’s not fault for a council to properly make a decision with which someone disagrees,” added the report. “There was delay by the council in determining his blue badge application.

“However, CBC’s decision to refuse the badge means this didn’t result in a significant personal injustice to Mr X, such as a delay in him receiving a badge.

“The council has apologised to him for the delay. This is the kind of outcome we would seek for this part of the complaint, had we investigated.

“This doesn’t prevent him from re-applying. If his mobility deteriorates, he may want to submit a fresh application along with new relevant medical evidence for the council’s consideration.

“We won’t investigate the complaint because there’s not enough evidence of fault in CBC’s blue badge process which would have affected the decision to warrant investigation.

“And there’s no different outcome to be achieved from investigation of the delay in deciding his blue badge application.”

SOURCE: Local government and social care ombudsman’s report.