Labour ‘letting blue badge cheat numbers rocket’ as motorists using disabled free parking pass soars by up to 600 per cent in some areas

Blue badges offering free parking for disabled people have increased by 600 per cent in five years in some parts of the country as demands for help soar.

The number of badges issued in the capital has more than doubled; campaigners say this is reflected across Britain.

Blue badges swelled the most in Southwark, rising from 655 in 2020 to over 4,576 in 2025; an increase of 613 percent.

Triple-figure swings also affected Labour-run Merton by 170 per cent, Brent by 141 per cent and Barking and Dagenham by 146 per cent.

Fake badges also increase the pressure. A BBC report published last year revealed there are now ‘more fakes’ in the UK than ever before.

Additionally, an internal report from Southwark Council, also obtained via FOI, privately admits that almost one in ten they checked were fake. This means they were either stolen, expired, or belonged to dead people. This means the actual number in use will be much higher.

Shadow transport minister Richard Holden MP said: ‘There has been an accelerating boom in blue badges under Labor.

‘While everyone rightly wants to see people in real need helped with disability access, it is clear that abuse is now widespread and growing.

‘It is both those who really need blue badge disability access and hard-working taxpayers who are paying the price for Labour’s failure to deliver on welfare.’

In 2019, for the first time, those with ‘hidden’ disabilities were allowed to apply; they now account for a third of all badges awarded.

The program was only for those with mobility issues. But the number of people referred for them due to ADHD, autism, anxiety and other ‘invisible’ disabilities has tripled since 2021.

Some senior figures in the Labor Party welcomed the figures. A party strategist said:

‘More people getting a blue badge is probably because we’ve expanded the eligibility criteria; This is a good thing.

However, people with severe disabilities are now having difficulty finding the spaces they need.

Laura Hattersley, director of research at disability charity CASK, said: ‘Disabled parking spaces are becoming scarcer every year.

‘As my daughter is in a wheelchair accessible vehicle, we often rely on these spaces being wider than normal and needing more room to pull our ramp down.

‘Councils should either increase the number of disabled parking spaces available or ensure that Blue Badges are prioritized for people with the most severe disabilities, where access to disabled parking can make the difference between inclusion in the community or effective exclusion.’

However, in some municipalities the average wait time for a new disabled bay to be approved and painted is 52 weeks.

Depending on location, owners can park for free in pay and display bays and on single and double yellow lines.

And in London, blue badge holders are exempt from the £18-a-day congestion charge, giving people in London a huge financial incentive to get a blue badge.

A DfT spokesman said: ‘Councils are responsible for assessing applications fairly and rigorously and have the power to take action where the scheme is being abused.

‘The misuse of Blue Badges is a criminal offense and undermines support for the people this program is there to help.’