London Borough of Croydon (25 005 504)
Category : Children's care services > Disabled children
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 02 Sep 2025
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to refuse Mrs X’s application for a Blue Badge for her daughter. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.
The complaint
- Mrs X complained about the Council’s decision to refuse her daughter’s blue badge application.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- We investigate complaints of injustice caused by ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. I have used the word fault to refer to these. 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 Mrs X and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- People may qualify for a badge if they are unable to walk, experience considerable difficulty when walking or are at serious risk of harm when walking.
- Mrs X applied for a Blue Badge for her daughter. She says her daughter has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), causing difficulties when travelling. She applied for her daughter under the ‘hidden disabilities’ criteria and provided supporting evidence.
- The Council considered Mrs X’s application and supporting evidence. It decided the application did not meet the qualifying criteria and so refused her application. Mrs X appealed the decision but the Council’s appeal panel upheld the decision.
- We will not investigate this complaint because it is unlikely we would find fault. We do not act as an appeal body and can only consider if there was fault in the way the Council made the decision.
- The Council considered the information provided. The appeal notes show the panel considered how Mrs X’s daughter’s condition affects her ability to travel and explained why they do not believe a Blue Badge was appropriate. The Council properly considered each point and the government guidance and although Mrs X disagrees with the decision, this itself is not evidence of fault in the way it was made.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman