A government investigation has resulted in the cancellation of tens of thousands of Blue Badges, initially issued to deceased individuals, after it emerged they were being flogged for considerable amounts.
The inquiry uncovered that numerous permits remained in circulation even after the original holders had died, with some families attempting to exploit the system.
Cabinet Office Minister Josh Simons voiced his astonishment at the revelation of an illicit black market for Blue Badges, which he characterised as a symbol of « old-fashioned courtesy and consideration ».
He declared: « In supermarket car parks and high streets, the blue badge is a symbol we respect. I was shocked when I learned there is an illegal black market of blue badges, which makes a mockery of that system.
« We have now identified and cancelled 22,000, after we found many were still in use after their holders had died. Our fraud crack down found other abuses too. The Cabinet Office says each permit can be worth up to £800, because of the cost of dodged parking fees and congestion charges. »
« In one case, Camden Council said relatives of a deceased badge holder applied for replacements, claiming the permit had been damaged » The Cabinet Office acknowledged that it does not possess data on how many of the revoked badges were actually misused, as this information is maintained by individual local authorities.
Officials highlighted that protective measures differ between councils, though routine data-matching is assisting in tackling abuse.
The badge crackdown forms part of the UK’s most extensive anti-fraud campaign ever, which has clawed back £480 million over the past year – a remarkable surge of £100 million compared to the previous year.
A considerable chunk of this figure, £186 million, was retrieved from bogus Covid loan schemes, including fraudulent Bounce Back Loans.
The Cabinet Office credits this unprecedented recovery to cutting-edge data-matching techniques and an AI system that spots weaknesses before fraudsters can capitalise on them.
Mr Simons said: « There are thousands more errors that no one has bothered to fix for years. Pension payments that carry on after a funeral. Social housing lists with names that shouldn’t be there. Council tax discounts claimed where they shouldn’t be. These might sound small but they add up. While hardworking, decent people pay their fair share, a small number of people scam the system and cost the rest of us millions of pounds of taxpayer money.
« Over the last year we’ve stopped £480 million being lost. That’s the most any government has ever saved and £100 million more than the previous year. I am proud of that record. Half a billion pounds back in the system. That’s nurses on hospital wards, teachers in classrooms and police officers on the beat. Taxpayers expect their money to be spent funding these services, not lining the pockets of fraudsters.
« We will keep using cutting edge technology to find abuses of the system and punish those responsible. We will always be tough on fraud. »
