original publish by By John Guinn, Local Democracy Reporter
The fraudulent use of a blue badge is not always a “heinous, black and white crime”, a Central Bedfordshire councillor has claimed.
The council’s Audit Committee (July 27) heard that there is a “commitment” to providing an effective Anti-Fraud Service.
This, a report to the committee said, is supported by “efficient” policies and sanctions for those that offend.
As part of this, the council has restarted its Targeted Blue Badge Enforcement Days.
Blue Badge Fraud is where a badge is misused or obtained unlawfully, and can include using the badge when the disabled person is “not present in the vehicle”.
Committee vice-chair, councillor Robert Morris (Conservative, Cranfield and Marston Moretaine) said that the victim in Blue Badge Fraud is a disabled resident – but added that misusing a badge can be a “grey area”.
“Where someone is picking up a prescription for disabled person, that’s sort of thing,” he suggested.
“I think most people wouldn’t see that as being a heinous crime. We do need to look at these things with the correct perspective.”
Julie Luckman, corporate fraud and assurance manager, said each case is seen by three senior officers before a decision to prosecute is taken.
“I would just like to clarify that if somebody was using a disabled space to pick up a prescription that is fraud because they are capable of parking somewhere else, and the whole point of the disabled space is it needs to be nearer to whatever it is that a disabled person needs to go to.
“So I’m afraid that would fall under a prosecution,” she said.
Ms Luckman added that various factors are taken into account in each case and the council looks at the situation “as a whole”, including any explanations given.
Councillor Nigel Young (Conservative, Dunstable West) said: “Is councillor Morris advocating leniency when someone fraudulently takes a disabled space and prevents disabled residents from using that space?
“It’s black and white isn’t it – it’s illegal,” he said.
Councillor Morris replied: “What I’m trying to say is that there have been cases where the rightful Blue Badge holder has lost their blue badge for that particular situation where they’ve asked someone to pick up a prescription, that sort of thing.
“I never believe that law is black and white, there are certain laws that are black and white, but very few, in general, are,” he said.
Councillor John Gurney (LibDem, Dunstable East) said that when to use a blue badge is made “very clear” to users and carers.
“You can’t just accidentally park on double yellow lines, you don’t accidentally park in a disabled bay,” he said.
“Prosecution is what should follow, and then publicise the prosecution and everyone else will think ‘oh, I won’t be doing that again’. And that’s how it works,” he said.
Ms Luckman said: “[If] you use someone else’s use blue badge, it is black and white. You are committing an offence.”