Sheffield disabled drivers are facing a “considerable backlog” with their blue badge applications because of council staff shortages.
The council has redeployed staff from other services and said that the 12-week delay should be fixed by the end of the year.
Junior staff in the department, who have some knowledge of the process, have been interviewed to fill the more senior positions.
Blue badges that are about to expire have automatically been extended to a 15-week grace period, allowing the council to catch up on new applications.
However, the grace period only applies to council car parks and on-street parking, excluding private hospitals, supermarkets and shopping centres.
There are currently 22,500 blue badges held by people in Sheffield, which typically are renewed every three years.
The application process has also become more complex, since people with “hidden disabilities”, such as autism and mental health problems, have been eligible to apply.
The new criteria cover anyone who cannot undertake a journey without there being a risk of serious harm or serious psychological distress to their own or another person’s health and safety.
Councillor Joe Otten, chair of the waste and street scene policy committee, said in July: “The council is aware of issues with blue badge applications for some customers and would like to apologise for these delays.”