London Borough of Islington (23 013 099)
Category : Adult care services > Transport
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 20 Aug 2024
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to refuse her a Blue Badge. There is insufficient evidence of fault to warrant an investigation.
The complaint
- Ms X complains the Council has refused to issue her with a Blue Badge.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- We investigate 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 or continue an investigation if we decide there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.
(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
- We consider whether there was fault in the way an organisation made its decision. If there was no fault in how the organisation made its decision, we cannot question the outcome. (Local Government Act 1974, section 34(3), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Ms X applied for a Blue Badge under the hidden disabilities criteria.
- The Council considered her application and supporting evidence. This included an independent assessment by a medical professional specialising in hidden disabilities. It decided she did not meet the criteria for a Blue Badge and so it refused her application.
- We will not investigate this complaint as there is insufficient evidence of fault. The Council has appropriately considered her application but decided she does not meet the qualifying criteria for a Blue Badge. Although Ms X disagrees with the decision, there is insufficient evidence of fault to warrant an investigation. it is not our role to re-assess or re-take the decision, if there is no fault in how it was made.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman