London Borough of Lewisham (25 000 619)
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about an unsuccessful blue badge application. This is because the Council will offer the complainant another mobility assessment.
The complaint
- The complainant, Mr X, says the Council did not properly assess his application for a blue badge. He says the Council ignored one of his conditions and did not consider how they overlap and interact.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word fault to refer to these. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start an investigation if we are satisfied with the actions an organisation has taken or proposes to take. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(7), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council. This includes the application, medical evidence and the Council’s assessment. I also considered our Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mr X applied for a blue badge. The Council assessed the application, and did a mobility assessment, but decided Mr X does not qualify for a badge.
- I asked the Council to offer another mobility assessment because it appears the original assessment did not fully consider all of Mr X’s health conditions and whether there is an overlap which affects his mobility. The Council agreed and will contact Mr X to arrange an appointment.
- This is a satisfactory outcome because it will give Mr X another chance to explain how all his conditions affect his mobility and the Council will have another chance to assess the application, ensuring it considers all the presenting issues and how they may interact. Further, it is not our role to re-make the decision or decide if Mr X is eligible for a badge – this is decision for the Council to make.
Final decision
- We will not investigate this complaint because the Council will offer Mr X a second mobility assessment.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman