Surrey County Council (24 014 181)
Category : Adult care services > Transport
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 21 Jan 2025
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of his blue badge application. An investigation would not lead to any further findings or outcomes.
The complaint
- Mr X complains about the Council’s handling of his blue badge application. In that it should have accepted his application automatically. Also, the delays in considering his application impacted him by not being able to use disabled parking bays.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide:
- we could not add to any previous investigation by the organization.
- further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.
(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- The Council in their response to the complaint, apologised for the delay and alerted Mr X to the appeal process.
- Mr X says that after an appeal, the Council granted him a blue badge however he says he should have received one automatically.
- There is no statutory timeframe for the Council to consider a blue badge application within. On the Council’s website it shows that it tries to review an application within 12 weeks. However, if further assessment is needed, then this process can take longer.
- I will not investigate the complaint. I understand Mr X is dissatisfied with the timescales involved and lack of alternative provision. However, I consider an investigation by us would not lead to a different outcome as ultimately Mr X received a blue badge, and the Council apologised for the length of time his application took.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because an investigation would not lead to any further findings or outcomes.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman