THE COUNCIL has apologised to a disabled pensioner after he was kept waiting for a blue badge due to a “technical issue” with his payment.
John Harwood paid BCP the required £10 in early March to renew his blue badge.
The 80-year-old grandfather of four finally received it on Thursday, April 20 - five weeks after paying for it.
John, from Merley, which is just south of Wimborne, said: “I started enquiring when my badge expired in January and I contacted the council and filled out some forms.
“I paid £10 on March 8 and so I expected the badge to arrive in reasonable time.”
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After three weeks of waiting, the time Mr Harwood says he was told he would have to wait at most, he started to fear the badge wouldn’t turn up and so phoned up the council.
“The girl said there was a problem with the payment and that it hadn’t been accepted, but I have a statement from my bank saying £10 had gone out to them,” he said.
“She told me she would look into it and it would take three weeks to sort out but three weeks later it didn’t arrive.
“I contacted the council again saying that I was most upset but she said the payment had not been authorised and that it would be looked into.”
He added: “I’m unable to walk far; I have an artificial ankle. My wife is severely disabled and I have to use her mobility scooter.
“I want the council to give me a blue badge and get its act together.”
The council guidelines on its website say it should take around two weeks for a badge to come through.
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A BCP Council spokesman confirmed the blue badge is now on its way to Mr Harwood and that it will be dated from when he receives it – not from January or March as he initially feared.
The spokesman said: “A technical issue affected our receipt of Mr Harwood’s payment and unfortunately caused a delay to his blue badge application.
“The application has now been fully processed and the blue badge is on its way to him.
“We apologise for the delay he has experienced.”
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