Thursday 27 October 2011
Friday 21 October 2011
Bellow is a briefing in relation to the Blue Badge Scheme.
Cllr Norman Owen Salford Liberal Democrat Leader has criticised the fact that we are having to charge for this.
It is down to HIS ConDem Government that these charges are being brought in due to the changes in administration being charged to local Authorities.
Briefing re the National Blue Badge Scheme.
Changes to the Scheme
After a review of the Blue Badge Scheme by the Department for Transport a number of changes to the administration and issue of Blue Badges are being put in place from 1 January 2012. The measures are to counter fraud and misuse and have resulted in the following changes:-
• Extending the grounds available to local authorities to refuse to issue and to withdraw badges
• Implementing a new badge design that is harder to copy, forge and alter
• Implementing arrangements for the secure printing, personalisation and distribution of the badge
• Introducing more effective monitoring of cancelled, lost and stolen badges
• Developing a common database of Blue Badge holders and their key details, thus preventing multiple and fraudulent applications
• Improving validity checks
• An on-line eligibility checker and application form (a paper-based application will continue to be available).
The main changes relating the local authority role is that a new, single, national supplier has been engaged to securely print, personalise and distribute the badges. This replaces work that was previously undertaken by the council.
Local authorities will remain responsible for the decisions about whether or not the applicant is eligible for a badge, for referrals for medical assessments and for checks on an applicant’s residency and identity.
The new National Supplier of Blue Badges
The Department for Transport has contracted with Northgate Information Systems in partnership with Payne Security to provide parts of the Blue Badge Service on a 5-year term from 1 January 2012. Northgate is an established provider of services to 90% of local authorities, including Salford.
Northgate’s core services for badges will include:-
• A way of ordering badges
• Facilitating interaction with existing systems
• Creating a national Blue Badge data base
• Providing an on-line eligibility checker and an on-line application form that will be available via the DirectGov website
• Managing Payne Security in the production, supply and distribution of badges
• Answering first line enquiries from the public and signposting to their correct local authority
• A help line to assist applicants with queries
• A five day turn around on completed applications
• New badge design to improve security, incorporating built-in security enablers, constructed in a similar way to that of driving licences but remaining the same size as the current badge
Charges for a Blue Badge
The local authority is allowed to charge up to a maximum of £10 per badge issued. This will provide the local authority with the scope to cover the costs the council will incur as a result of the new arrangements. For example, we now have to pay for each badge issued by Northgate and also have to change the way we keep and transfer information.
The £10 charge for Blue Badges will apply to new applications and renewals as they are made and, as the badges last for 3 years, the cost is spread over this time.
Councillor John Warmisham, lead member for Adult Social Care and Health, said::
“ The Department of Transport (DoT) has introduced changes to the Blue Badge scheme that will affect all Blue Badge holders across the country from the 1st January 2012. The DoT has adopted new arrangements for the production and distribution of Blue Badges aimed at improving security and reducing misuse. They have appointed a single company to produce the badges across the country. Like other local authorities, Salford council will incur additional costs arising from the DoT’s changes for administering the scheme locally and to pay the company for the production and issue of each badge. The £10 charge for Blue Badges in Salford will apply to new applications for Blue Badges and renewals and is being made to cover the cost to the council resulting from the DoT’s changes. Blue badges are issued for a period of three years, so the cost will be £3.34 per year.”
Thursday 20 October 2011
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