Hundreds of blue badges cancelled in clampdown

Hundreds of blue badges have been cancelled in Angus in a national clampdown, but council chiefs do not believe it is down to widespread fraud.

Every two years councils across the country share a wide range of information in the National Fraud Initiative data-matching programme to identify potential inconsistencies which might indicate fraud or error in areas including housing benefit and council tax payment reductions.

The results of the 2016 exercise were presented to Angus scrutiny and audit councillors, revealing local fraud team staff received almost 100 cases to look into.

Total housing benefit and council tax overpayments of around £11,000 have been identified, and officials say those will be pursued through the authority’s debt recovery process.

The 2016 NFI exercise also led to the cancellation of 149 blue badges issued to drivers – two years after 112 were also recalled – but councillors were told that Angus fraud experts do not believe there is a major problem around local drivers using permits they are not entitled to.

The explanation given to the scrutiny committee was that the cancellations largely resulted from data-matched details coming out of the NFI scheme concerning badge holders who had passed away, but whose relatives may not have made it a priority to cancel the permits.

“We don’t have a lot of evidence to suggest it (blue badge fraud) is an issue in Angus,” said an official.

The blue badge scheme provides an essential service for disabled people and allows access to parking bays which are normally closer to work, shops and other community services.