Cousin used my nans disability badge

[Shauna2866]

hi just wondering can a traffic warden find out who a disability badge belongs to from the number of the front of the badge?
basically my cousin who’s an idiot decided to use my nans blue badge and he said the trafffic warden asked to see it and he refused to let them see it so they took pictures of his car front and back !!
my Nan is absolutely furious with him but we are thinking now what’s going to happen ?
will my Nan get in trouble even though she didn’t know ? He used it he takes her shopping and she left her badge in his car my Nan is a non driver so he does do a lot of driving but today he has used it for himself when he should not have done!!

They won't take cousins word for it. Nan will have to give evidence in court. Is she prepared to stand up in court and lie?
Depending on where you live, our local paper publishes names a d court outcomes of all cases of blue badge misuse and the council put them on their website

Court cases and a trial !!!

If you all seriously think this will happen, you are VERY much mistaken !

People that have possession of Grade A child pornography dont always go to prison

(4 in my area, over Covid alone)

Its just a blue badge people, ffs, get a grip

@PeopleAreWeird A quick google would show that court cases for blue badge misuse DO happen.

Since January 2022, we have handed out £11,868 in fines, an average £456 per offence, with a further five cases to be taken to a full court hearing later this year.
Sadly, Blue Badge fraud is on the increase. Not only does it take away spaces from those genuinely in need, but it undermines the integrity of the scheme.
Displaying a Blue Badge illegally is a crime, our teams take matters like this seriously and will prosecute those responsible. Every case we took to court last year resulted in a conviction. Misuse could result in a fine of up to £1,000 and risks confiscation of the badge which may have an impact on its intended user.
kirkleestogether.co.uk/2023/01/31/crackdown-on-blue-badge-misuse/

In OPs case if he refuses to pay any fine he gets and claims his Nan was with him but not seen, the council could opt to take him to court and ask Nan to testify. I would advise the cousin to accept the fine, apologies and not do it again. Hopefully that way Nan can keep her blue badge.

Can't believe the responses that are suggesting lying. That is abuse of the system and disgusting.

He will get fined and she could lose her badge

Still fraud.

DO NOT LIE.

Your cousin is a criminal.

The best thing your nan can do is report the misuse to her council.

If she lies then she is also commiting an offence. She could lose har badge, get a conviction for fraud and be fined up to £1000.

Following as my Mum has a blue badge and when I collect her to go to appointments or shopping etc I have to park (not possible near the house due to a big green in front of it) then get her into her wheelchair, lock up the house and wheel her up which can all take 10 mins, so I put the badge in while I do. And same in reverse, although I go and move the car when she's safely in, before I put her shopping away. I'm assuming she's supposed to accompany her badge at all times but unless I'm willing to risk a ticket while I collect her and her badge at the same time I'm not sure what the answer is.

THere are solicitors who advertise their skills in defending people.

https://www.jsmillersolicitors.co.uk/blue-badge-offences/

Blue badge abuse is prosecuted where I live. I know one family where it happened. The traffic warden confiscated the badges at the time of the offence.
The cousin was stupid because the BB number contains the month and year of birth of the holder so it would have been clear to the attendant that they weren't your cousin's badges.Your nan must not lie to protect him.

I’ve told my Nan how serious it is and can be!
ive said she will have to wait till she gets a letter through the post
normally she takes her badge out with her all the time and this time she obvs forgot and he’s used it
but if they do take her badge of her then she will have to see if she can appeal it with her not knowing he’s had it

I have read up that the person who used it can be fined and receive a criminal record but doesn’t say much about what can happen to the actual BB holder
obvs my Nan will have to tell the truth she won’t lie she can’t say she was with him when she wasn’t and also it will be on camera that she wasn’t it was in city centre they have cameras they will be able to check if she was or not so it’s not with it she’s to old to be getting in trouble she doesn’t need the stress .

Your Nan must not lie. Ignore those posters advising her to say he had just dropped her off etc. She will definitely lose her badge if she's seen to be part of it.

I think from what you have said this is ok as you are collecting her and need to park somewhere accessible to her. As long as you don't use it if you are just popping into see her rather than collecting her. This is what the Gov website says:

Who can use the badge?
The badge is for your use and benefit only. It must only be displayed if you are travelling in the vehicle as a driver or passenger, or if someone is collecting you or dropping you off and needs to park at the place where you are being collected or dropped.
Don’t allow other people to use the badge to do something on your behalf, such as shopping or collecting something for you.
• You must never give the badge to friends or family to allow them to park for free, even if they are visiting you.
• You should not use the badge to allow non-disabled people to take advantage of the benefits while you sit in the car.
• It’s a criminal offence to misuse a badge. This includes people other than the badge holder taking advantage of the parking concessions provided under the scheme.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-blue-badge-scheme-rights-and-responsibilities-in-england/the-blue-badge-scheme-rights-and-responsibilities-in-england#who-can-use-the-badge

@Shauna2866 as you say your Nan doesn’t need the stress.

Be ready for when your cousin realizes how deep in the sh*t he is re getting a fine or going to a court hearing and starts putting pressure on your nan to lie for him as a possible way to get out of the fine. Get the wider family ready to stand up for your Nan against him. You may also have to dissuade her from lying if she thinks it will help him.

It's the cousin that will be fined.

Realistically, a blue badge holder can't be expected to have control of the badge at all times. Often precisely because they're disabled. When my late husband was in a wheelchair, we kept his badge in the hall by the front door so that whoever was taking him out could pick it up on the way. Because of his illness he was immobile. If he was in the living room he'd have no idea if any of us picked it up to go out without him (we didn't)99.

It's highly unlikely that your Nan will punished. Probably just a warning.

If it’s a strict liability offence (most bylaw offences are) then it’s down to your cousin to prove that he wasn’t misusing it, not the council to prove he was. My MIL took hers back off her DD as she was sure the DD was using it when MIL wasn’t with her.

They will use the number plate to ascertain car ownership and issue fine.

If they could see the badge number they might contact your Nan to check whether the badge had been stolen from her.

At this point she needs to say not stolen but she has no idea how the badge came to be in the car, her GS must have borrowed / taken it.
If they follow up on him he absolutely must say he took it without her knowledge. He must not say she allowed him to take it or knew he had.

It us then highly unlikely that they would fine her or confiscate the badge.

Your cousin is a grade A idiot. He made a bad situation (of his own making) worse.

Get a grip! Don’t know why you’re winding your nana up over this and I don’t know why posters are winding the OP up. The fine is UP TO £1000, you won’t get hit with £1000 for a first offence. It’s highly unlikely you’ll lose the badge either. Just (try to) chill and wait and see what if anything comes through the post and then deal with it. No point panicking over worst case scenarios and shame on the posters spouting nonsense about fines, prison and perverting the course of justice.

https://www.transportxtra.com/publications/parking-review/news/50158/prison-sentence-for-man-caught-using-stolen-blue-badge/

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/blue-badge-fraudsters-kirklees-slapped-26108839

Have to agree if he he holds,his hands up.he will.probably be issued with a fine all the posters posting links about people being jailed etc just why who is it helping?
I assume there is probably more to someone being jailed ie persistent offenders
No.the cousin shouldn't have done this but I very much doubt he's looking at prison sentences and I say all.this as the parent of a severely disabled blue badge holding child

Gie us a break with your scaremongering worse case scare tactics.

It's a criminal offence where all disabled people are the victims

She could lose her blue badge if they decide to take it further.

I’m aware she could lose her blue badge but then she might not so we will see what happens it’s done now so like I’ve said to my Nan just wait and see what they come back with he will pay the fine anyway

He's still.highly unlikely to.end up.in prison so.im.not sure what you think your going to.achieve by posting links