DEPARTMENT FOR
TRANSPORT News Release (156) issued by COI News Distribution
Service. 20 October 2008
A radical overhaul
of the Blue Badge scheme was announced today by Transport Minister
Paul Clark. Up to £55 million will be dedicated to ensuring that
the disabled parking scheme meets the needs of the 21st Century.
For the first time 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 the
recent Blue Badge consultation highlighted this as 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 disabilities 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. And 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 today announced that
we will be extending the scope of the scheme."
To support immediate confiscation of misused badges a £10m
national data sharing system will be established by councils to
ensure stolen or forged Badges from outside their local area can
be easily identified for the first time.
The Department for Transport is also looking at new technologies
to make Badges harder to forge, including barcodes that can be
read through windscreens.
Helen Smith Mobilise Director of Policy and Campaigns said:
"Mobilise has been campaigning for a review of the Blue
Badge scheme for many years and so we welcome this announcement of
the new Blue Badge strategy.
"Unfortunately too many people are misusing and abusing Blue
Badges and this means the scheme is no longer benefiting the
people that it should. Only by ensuring that people meeting the
qualifying criteria are issued with badges and abuse of the scheme
is taken very seriously will the scheme work again as it was intended.
"I therefore hope that this strategy will tackle these
issues and ensure that disabled people are able to get out and
about and park a lot more easily."
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.
Nine councils have been awarded the status 'Centre of
Excellence'. This is in recognition of their innovative work
in administering and enforcing the Blue Badge Scheme. They will
share good practice that has worked well in their local area and
drive up improvements in management of the scheme with other local authorities.
Notes to Editors
1. The Disabled Person's Parking Badge Scheme (the
'Blue Badge Scheme') was introduced in 1971 to provide a
national arrangement of on-street parking concessions for disabled
people, allowing them to access goods and services more easily.
2. The Department for Transport conducted a strategic review of
the Scheme between May and September 2007. This was followed by a
consultation on the reviews findings in January 2008, which closed
in April 2008.
3. New efforts to fight fraud and abuse of the Blue Badge scheme include:
* Establishing a national system of data sharing (using up to £10
million of government funds) to identify Blue Badge cheats. We
hope to compliment this with new legal powers that will allow
parking enforcement officers to seize lost, stolen and fraudulent
Blue Badges.
* Upgrading the Badge security features, as such as barcodes that
can be read through windscreens, to make the Badge harder to forge
* Conducting a national publicity campaign to highlight the Blue
Badge Reform Strategy. This will include messages about the impact
that abuse has on disabled people.
* Supporting the British Retail Consortium to reduce abuse in
their members' off-street car parks, such as supermarket car parks.
4. The £55 million funding is made up from £10 million over three
years to set up a system of data sharing, and £45 million over the
same period of time to pay for Blue Badge assessments.
5. Whilst Parking Enforcement Officers currently inspect Blue
Badges, the power to seize lies solely with the police. Extending
this power will allow Local Authorities to act more independently
in tackling abuse, whilst freeing up police time to deal with
local policing priorities.
6. Proposed extensions to Blue Badge entitlements will make the
following groups eligible, once new legislation is in place:
* people with the most severe mental impairments / extremely
disruptive behavioural problems
* specific individuals with temporary mobility problems lasting a
minimum of one year
* children under the age of 3 with specific medical conditions
* Injured active/ex-service personnel in receipt of specific
tariffs of award under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme.
7. How we assess who gets a Badge will be made fairer and more
consistent - local authorities with receive up to £15 million per
year to conduct improved independent medical assessments. This
will also help to protect against people getting badges who
don't need them.
8. There are nine Blue Badge Centres of Excellence in England
(COE). These are:
* Manchester and Bolton as joint COE for North West England
* Rotherham as COE for Yorkshire and Humberside
* Bournemouth as COE for South West England
* Southampton as COE for South East England
* Birmingham and Coventry as joint COE for the West Midlands
* Wandsworth and Kensington and Chelsea as joint COE for London.
9. Full details of the Blue Badge Strategy can be found on the
DfT's website at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/transportforyou/access/bluebadge/
Public Enquiries: 020 7944 8300
Department for Transport
Website: http://www.dft.gov.uk