Buckinghamshire residents who have an unwanted or no longer needed Blue Badge for disabled parking are being urged to hand them back during a special amnesty to mark International Fraud Awareness Week
Nationally, fraud costs the public sector £50 billion annually – that’s around £1,000 per household. And of all crimes committed in the UK, fraud is estimated to account for 40% of them.
Following a recent joint operation to catch people misusing Blue Badges, the council is allowing people who are holding onto no longer needed Blue Badges to anonymously return them during the awareness week.
There will be boxes in reception areas of council offices at Walton Street in Aylesbury, and Queen Victoria Road in High Wycombe. Alternatively you can post them to:
Blue Badge Amnesty
Buckinghamshire Council (5th Floor)
Walton Street, Aylesbury
Buckinghamshire
HP20 1UA
Steven Broadbent, Buckinghamshire Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Transport said:
“The Blue Badge scheme is designed to ensure that parking spaces are available for disabled people and the badges must only be used when the disabled person is present.
“Blue Badge misuse is not only fraud, but also a serious problem for our most vulnerable residents who rely on the scheme to access essential services and facilities. By parking in disabled bays without a valid badge, offenders are taking away spaces from those who really need them, causing them unnecessary inconvenience and stress.
“So, if you have a Blue Badge and you don’t need it – perhaps it previously belonged to a friend or relative – please do hand it in as part of our amnesty. Blue Badge offenders can also be prosecuted and receive a fine of up to £1,000 so it really is in everyone’s interests to hand them back in.”
Suspected abuses of the Blue Badge scheme should be reported via the council’s website.
The council's fraud team also investigates housing application cheating, council tax scams, cybercrime and more.
Councillor Richard Newcombe, Chairman of the Audit and Governance Committee, commented:
"We do not tolerate fraud in Buckinghamshire, and we take all fraud allegations seriously and investigate them thoroughly. We urge anyone who spots anything suspicious to report it. If needed, this can be done anonymously.
"Fraud harms all Buckinghamshire residents by diverting funds away from essential services. Which is why we should all be vigilant – your tip-off could stop the cheats."
Frauds, scams or other suspicious activity in Buckinghamshire should be reported via the council’s website.
Find out more including tips on becoming ‘fraud aware’ at: buckinghamshire.gov.uk/fraud-week
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