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Disabled badge confiscated.

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Comments

  • MouldyOldDough
    MouldyOldDough Posts: 2,733 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Third Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    To give a brief history me and my mother are both disabled and both receive higher rate PIP that qualifies us for a blue badge. 

    I have a Motability car in my name, and we are both named drivers. The blue badge was in mom’s name and we shared the car and badge.

     Today I went into town to get a few bits and was accosted by someone from the council on my return to the car, it was all very traumatic, he took the badge, threatened to detain me, etc,despite my explaining the circumstances and has said I could face prosecution. 

    As I am entitled to use a badge and it’s a shared car it was something I’d never even considered, I’m beside myself with worry now, has anyone else has any experience of something similar or knows what may happen now?
    Are you also getting higher rate PIP & entitled to a mobility car? Do you have your own BB, which you would be entitled to?

    If not & it is your mother that is entitled to the car, then please read this,

    https://www.motability.co.uk/whats-available/cars/package/use/

    Also as BB is in your mothers name & she was not with you (not mentioned).

    Who can use the badge?

    The badge is for your (person named on badge) use and benefit only. It must only be displayed if you are travelling in the vehicle as a driver or passenger, or if someone is collecting you or dropping you off and needs to park at the place where you are being collected or dropped.

    Don’t allow other people to use the badge to do something on your behalf, such as shopping or collecting something for you.

    • You must never give the badge to friends or family to allow them to park for free, even if they are visiting you.
    • You should not use the badge to allow non-disabled people to take advantage of the benefits while you sit in the car.
    • It’s a criminal offence to misuse a badge. This includes people other than the badge holder taking advantage of the parking concessions provided under the scheme.

    Sadly you have broken the rules & they were correct. At a guess you mother may not get another.

    Abuse of BB is something that upsets many Disabled people as they can not access a disabled space.
    It is the OP's car and his Mother is a named driver.

    OP - Apart from the BB issue. Your Mother should really only drive your Motability vehicle, when you are also in the car, or she is coming to pick you up or drop you off somewhere. ( Even without a Motability vehicle, this also applies if you have your own vehicle that is zero rated for tax due to their being a disabled driver) So in theory at least she should not use it even just to pop to the shops for herself, or similar journeys

    So really you should not only apply for a BB yourself, your Mother should also get her own motability, car and not share yours.

    However it is a bit of a grey area and in reality nobody is probably ever going to find out ( or worry about it that much) and in practical terms would be a bit daft to run two cars, largely unnecessarily. However good to be aware of the issue and for sure your Mother should not be going off in your Motability car for long periods on her own, on holiday etc. 

    From motability :
    "You are correct that any journeys must benefit you as the customer. However this doesn't mean you must always be in the car, for example if your wife needed to go food shopping, pick up medication for you etc.
    You have provided a great example, and this would be absolutely fine if it is giving her a break which as you have mentioned would also help you. As long as the car is always available if YOU need it at any time"

    This does NOT include using the blue badge !!

    If I was half as smart as I think I am - I'd be twice as smart as I REALLY am.
  • Albermarle
    Albermarle Posts: 28,242 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Seventh Anniversary Name Dropper



      was accosted by someone from the council on my return to the car, it was all very traumatic, he took the badge, *threatened to detain me*

    All sounds very odd to me, have you got this persons name? I would be checking their credentials. I am wondering if they are badge thieves.
    Aside of that though, other advice re usage is correct.
    The approach does seem aggressive, but on the other hand BB /disabled parking spaces abuse is widespread, and a crackdown is long overdue.
    My local leisure centre has started showing on the reception desk a list of cars that have parked in disabled spaces with no BB, with a threat that if they do it again they will lose membership rights for a month.
  • HillStreetBlues
    HillStreetBlues Posts: 6,203 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Third Anniversary Homepage Hero Photogenic
    edited 8 July 2023 at 2:44PM
    The approach does seem aggressive, but on the other hand BB /disabled parking spaces abuse is widespread, and a crackdown is long overdue.
    My local leisure centre has started showing on the reception desk a list of cars that have parked in disabled spaces with no BB, with a threat that if they do it again they will lose membership rights for a month.
    Look at it from the other side.
    The inspector might like many decent people hate the misuse of a Blue Badge and will have utter destain for those who do it.
    OP has been caught misusing the BB,  and I expect the "I'm disabled too" has been used many times as an excuse.
    If OP showed proof of their disability to the inspector, then yes it's heavy handed,  if not why should the inspector believe them?

    Let's Be Careful Out There



  •   was accosted by someone from the council on my return to the car, it was all very traumatic, he took the badge, *threatened to detain me*

    All sounds very odd to me, have you got this persons name? I would be checking their credentials. I am wondering if they are badge thieves.
    Aside of that though, other advice re usage is correct.
    The approach does seem aggressive, but on the other hand BB /disabled parking spaces abuse is widespread, and a crackdown is long overdue.
    My local leisure centre has started showing on the reception desk a list of cars that have parked in disabled spaces with no BB, with a threat that if they do it again they will lose membership rights for a month.

    Council run centre & car park?
    Things that are differerent: draw & drawer, brought & bought, loose & lose, dose & does, payed & paid


  • Albermarle
    Albermarle Posts: 28,242 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Seventh Anniversary Name Dropper



      was accosted by someone from the council on my return to the car, it was all very traumatic, he took the badge, *threatened to detain me*

    All sounds very odd to me, have you got this persons name? I would be checking their credentials. I am wondering if they are badge thieves.
    Aside of that though, other advice re usage is correct.
    The approach does seem aggressive, but on the other hand BB /disabled parking spaces abuse is widespread, and a crackdown is long overdue.
    My local leisure centre has started showing on the reception desk a list of cars that have parked in disabled spaces with no BB, with a threat that if they do it again they will lose membership rights for a month.

    Council run centre & car park?
    Run by a Trust/Charity, but effectively the council built it and subsidise it.  Been only recently though I have seen this name and shame list. 
  • The approach does seem aggressive, but on the other hand BB /disabled parking spaces abuse is widespread, and a crackdown is long overdue.
    My local leisure centre has started showing on the reception desk a list of cars that have parked in disabled spaces with no BB, with a threat that if they do it again they will lose membership rights for a month.
    Look at it from the other side.
    The inspector might like many decent people hate the misuse of a Blue Badge and will have utter destain for those who do it.
    OP has been caught misusing the BB,  and I expect the "I'm disabled too" has been used many times as an excuse.
    If OP showed proof of their disability to the inspector, then yes it's heavy handed,  if not why should the inspector believe them?

    I did show him proof that it was my car and it was Motability car. He knew I was disabled as I was with my sticks and almost passing out when I got back to the car to such an extent he asked was I ok. Had I not been in so much pain and exhausted I would have perhaps fought back more, but i was so frightened I just went along with him. I explained the situation he didn’t seem to care one iota. 

    I will just wait and see what happens. Hopefully I will get my opportunity to hour my side of the story.
  • HillStreetBlues
    HillStreetBlues Posts: 6,203 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Third Anniversary Homepage Hero Photogenic
    I did show him proof that it was my car and it was Motability car. He knew I was disabled as I was with my sticks and almost passing out when I got back to the car to such an extent he asked was I ok. Had I not been in so much pain and exhausted I would have perhaps fought back more, but i was so frightened I just went along with him. I explained the situation he didn’t seem to care one iota. 

    I will just wait and see what happens. Hopefully I will get my opportunity to hour my side of the story.
    Then that person should have shown you some leeway and gave you a warning you should have applied for your own

    Apply for you own badge ASAP  as you can then submit that to show that you wasn't setting out to abuse the system, it was a genuine honest mistake.
    A mistake you corrected as soon as you could by getting a badge in your own name.
    Let's Be Careful Out There
  • A brief update. I have applied for my own badge now, and have submitted a complaint to the council about his conduct and proof of my disability, but I do fear now the dust has settled he was actually a blue badge thief. He didn’t show me any ID and was just dressed in plain clothes. He also looked like a “down and out”. I’m waiting for the council to reply to confirm, but he was so unprofessional and threatening I don’t think he could be from the council.
  • born_again
    born_again Posts: 20,790 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Sixth Anniversary Name Dropper
    Good luck, thanks for the update.
    Life in the slow lane
  • teddysmum
    teddysmum Posts: 9,522 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    You require your own badge as it can be used when having a lift in someone else's car.
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