STORY
More than 450 Blue Badges have been cancelled in Wirral after a Government-backed fraud investigation found that permits issued to deceased residents were still being used.
The Cabinet Office and Public Sector Fraud Authority said 459 unauthorised badges had been cancelled by Wirral Council, with an estimated saving to the taxpayer of more than £363,000. The badges were identified through the National Fraud Initiative, which matched council data against central Government records held by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Blue Badges are intended to help disabled people park closer to the places they need to access. Ministers said misuse of the scheme denied spaces to people with genuine need and undermined public confidence in support intended for vulnerable residents.
The investigation created a high-priority list of potentially fraudulent badges by cross-checking records and internal council data. The Government said the approach showed how better use of data could help identify and prevent fraud more quickly across local and central Government.