One in TWENTY drivers now have disability blue badge as councils urged to crack down on misuse

Published: 23:02, 5 April 2026 | Updated: 23:02, 5 April 2026 Councils have been urged to tackle the misuse of blue badge parking permits – as the proportion of people holding them has reached one in 20. The AA called for more to be done to detect offences such as using fake or stolen passes. The permits, which must be renewed every three years, enable people with disabilities or health conditions to park closer to shops and services. A record high of 5.2 per cent of people in England had a blue badge as of March 31 last year, analysis of Department for Transport (DfT) data found. Some 3.07 million blue badges were held – an increase of 8 per cent from a year earlier. The region with the highest percentage of holders was the North East (6.1 per cent), while London had the lowest (3.5 per cent), the Press Association analysis found. In 2019, the eligibility criteria for blue badges was extended beyond people with visible disabilities to include those with conditions such as Parkinson’s, dementia and epilepsy.  More than two-fifths of badges issued in 2024/25 were awarded without further assessment. Councils have been urged to tackle the misuse of blue badge parking permits – as the proportion of people holding them has reached one in 20 (stock photo) Depending on the location, they often enable holders to park free of charge in pay-and-display bays and for up to three hours on single and double yellow lines. In London, they exempt holders from having to pay the congestion charge, which is £18 per day. AA president Edmund King said: ‘The blue badge scheme is a mobility lifeline for millions of users and their families.  'Our concern is not the number of badges issued but the estimates that up to one in five badges may be used by someone other than the holder or authorised user. ‘Fraud is an issue which can include family misuse, use after death, counterfeit badges and theft and resale of badges. We would welcome a crackdown on illegitimate use of badges to safeguard deserving users.’  While there are no recent figures for the cost of blue badge fraud, in 2011 the National Fraud Authority – a now-closed Home Office agency – estimated it at £46million per year. Several councils have reported prosecutions for badge misuse in recent months. Croydon Council in south London said in January that seven offenders were ordered to pay a total of nearly £6,000 in fines, court costs and a victim surcharge. In December last year, Barking and Dagenham Council, in east London, said four drivers were convicted of illegal blue badge use. During the same month, Gateshead Council, in Tyne and Wear, said it prosecuted a driver for using another person’s permit. A Local Government Association spokesman said: ‘To help councils win the fight against blue badge fraud, residents must tip councils off about people they suspect are illegally using a badge, bearing in mind people’s need for one might not be obvious.’ A DfT spokesman said: ‘Exploitation and abuse of the blue badge scheme is a criminal offence. Local authorities have been given improved powers to crack down on fraud and misuse in their area.’ No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.