Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the expiry date of the complainant’s Blue Badge. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council and insufficient evidence of injustice.

The complaint

1. The complainant, whom I refer to as Mr X, complains the Council has only renewed his Blue Badge for two and half years and will charge to extend it to three years. Mr X wants £100 compensation and for the £10 fee to be waived.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Ombudsman investigates complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start an investigation if we decide:

• there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or
• any fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained, or
• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council. I read the Blue Badge guidance, correspondence between Mr X and the Council, and our Assessment Code. I also considered comments Mr X made in reply to a draft of this decision.

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My assessment

4. People who receive a qualifying award of PIP qualify for a Blue Badge. The government guidance states that most badges are issued for three years. When a badge is based on a PIP award it is issued for the period of the award; this may mean the badge is issued for less than three years.
5. Mr X’s previous badge expired in September 2021. In July he applied to renew it. He provided proof of his PIP award which was valid until January 2024. The Council processed the renewal in August and issued a new badge until January 2024.
6. In January 2021 Mr X’s PIP was renewed until October 2024. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) administers PIP awards. Mr X asked the Council to extend the badge until October 2024.
7. The Council explained it had processed the renewal in line with the evidence he submitted in July. It said it can only issue a badge for a maximum of three years and for the duration of the PIP award. The Council said it could extend the badge until August 2024 but Mr X would need to pay a £10 fee.
8. Mr X says that when he applied to renew the badge he had a letter from the DWP extending his PIP for a few months due to the pandemic. Mr X says the Council did not ask for this letter so he did not provide it. He says the Council should have asked for the extension letter. Mr X says he has lost of six months of entitlement to a badge and he should not have to pay £10.
9. I will not investigate this complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council. The Council renewed the badge in accordance with the PIP award at the time of renewal and in line with the evidence Mr X submitted. Mr X did not mention the extension letter so the Council could not have known he had an additional letter. The Council also told Mr X it could extend the badge for six months after he provided evidence that his PIP had been renewed to October.
10. I also will not start an investigation because there is insufficient evidence of injustice. Mr X can have his badge extended until August 2024 if he pays a £10 fee. I appreciate Mr X may not wish to pay £10 but a dispute over £10 does not warrant an investigation. In addition, provided Mr X continues to qualify for PIP, he will continue to qualify for a badge. He will continue to have a badge and the only difference is that he will pay a £10 renewal fee in January 2024 rather than in August 2024. Either way, he will continue to have a badge and only pay £10 in 2024; and this will continue for as long as Mr X qualifies for a badge.

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Final decision

11. I will not investigate this complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault and injustice.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman