Essex County Council (25 023 290)
Category : Adult care services > Transport
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 07 Jul 2026
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council dealt with Mrs X’s application to renew her blue badge. We consider further investigation will not lead to a different outcome.
The complaint
- Mrs X says the Council discriminated against her when she applied for a blue badge. She says it assumed she could use assistive technology when talking on the telephone and was asked twice to provide information she had already provided. She says because of delays by the Council she was without a blue badge for about eight weeks.
- Mrs X wants the Council to improve communication and consider points raised in a report on blue badge renewal by the Welsh Parliament.
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 further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.
(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by Mrs X and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mrs X is concerned about the way the Council dealt with her application to renew her blue badge. I understand she was without a blue badge for about eight weeks, and I understand this was inconvenient.
- The Council has confirmed Mrs X put in her application under the hidden disabilities criteria but the information she originally provided was about her physical mobility difficulties. Therefore, it was required to seek further information. It has apologised for the delay in requesting this information from Mrs X.
- Mrs X wants the Council to consider points raised in a report made by the Welsh Parliament and to improve communication.
- However, the Council has issued Mrs X a new blue badge. Also, it is required to follow the regulations and guidance for blue badges in England.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mrs X complaint because I consider that further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.
Investigator’s decision on behalf of the Ombudsman
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman