Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s rejection of a blue badge application. There is not enough evidence of fault in how the Council made its decision to justify an Ombudsman investigation.

The complaint

1. Ms B says the Council has rejected her blue badge application, despite her having one for years and her health and mobility not having changed. Ms B says not having a blue badge has a negative impact on her health.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. 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))
3. 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)

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. The blue badge scheme is to help people with severe mobility problems caused by visible and non-visible (hidden) disabilities to access goods and services by allowing them to park close by. The Department for Transport sets out how councils should consider applications for a blue badge.
7. The Council has followed the correct process to assess Ms B for a blue badge by an expert assessor and has reviewed the decision to decline Ms B’s application following appeal. Ms B then made a further application, which again the Council followed the correct process to consider and explain why it was declining the blue badge.
8. Although Ms B previously had a blue badge, that does not make you automatically eligible following its expiry. While I appreciate Ms B’s disappointment, there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council for the Ombudsman to question or criticise its decision.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Ms B’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman