More than 7,000 penalty charge notices (PCNs) have been issued in North Somerset over the past four years for misuse of blue badges. Between January 2021 and December 2025, a total of 7,198 fines were handed out for parking without a valid blue badge.
Blue badges are official permits that allow people with disabilities to park closer to their destinations. Unfortunately, these badges are sometimes stolen, forged, or used fraudulently by individuals without disabilities.
A Freedom of Information request by Witan Solicitors to North Somerset Council revealed that, in addition to the thousands of fines, 396 blue badges were confiscated during the same period due to misuse.
READ MORE: Bath Rugby Injury Update Ahead of Exeter Chiefs Semi-Final: Finn Russell, Guy Pepper, Louie Hennessey
READ MORE: Festival to Honour Adam Stimpson Returns for Third Year in Wedmore
Qarrar Somji, solicitor-advocate and director at Witan Solicitors, emphasized the seriousness of the issue: “Blue badge misuse constitutes criminal fraud and denies essential parking access to those who genuinely need it. Using a badge when the holder is not present, using lost, stolen, expired, or altered badges, or exploiting badges belonging to deceased individuals intentionally abuses the system.”
He added, “Fake and stolen badges are even being sold online to people who are not eligible. This is a criminal offence, and raising awareness about this problem is crucial.”
Witan Solicitors highlighted that the problem lies with those misusing badges, not with disabled individuals who rely on them legitimately.
Mr Somji continued, “There is often misinformation around who can obtain a blue badge. It is not straightforward for individuals without higher-rate mobility benefits to qualify; they must have a substantial disability. Faking a disability or exploiting benefits to obtain a blue badge is nearly impossible. The Department for Work and Pensions reports that fraud related to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is negligible. It’s important to remember that many disabilities are not visible, and legitimate badge holders truly need these permits to access parking conveniently.”
The consequences of blue badge misuse can be severe, including fines up to £1,000, criminal records, and confiscation of the badge.
North Somerset Council was contacted for comment.