Around 22,000 Blue Badges have been removed from UK roads following widespread misuse. It has also been discovered that thousands of permits, which allow disabled people to park closer to their destination, have been illegally sold or passed on after the death of their rightful owners.
The government is now cracking down on the fraudulent activity following a probe into the black market operation. According to Cabinet Office Minister Josh Simons, a number of Blue Badges remained in circulation despite the death of their holders. They were cancelled between April 2024 and May 2025, saving millions of pounds.
Mr Simons told The Sun: "In supermarket car parks and high streets, the blue badge is a symbol we respect. A sign of old-fashioned courtesy and consideration, the heart of our nation, that extends to everyone, no matter what disability they have.
"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.”
Each permit can be worth up to £800, as they allow motorists to dodge parking fees and other charges. In Camden, relatives of a deceased Blue Badge holder applied for replacement permits as they had been "damaged and lost."
However, the requests were denied and the permit was terminated following checks. A total of 22,000 permits have now been voided but the Cabinet Office cannot confirm how many were misused as this data sits with the local authorities.
It comes amid an ongoing anti-fraud campaign from the Labour Party. A total of £480 million was reportedly saved over the last year, with around £186 million of that from Covid-19 loan fraud.
Mr Simons said: "Half a billion pounds back in the system. That’s nurses on hospital wards, teachers in classrooms and police officers on the beat."
