How Hard Working is Your MP?

We have recently come across a situation where a lady who suffered with epileptic fits wanted to complain about having to attend a Work Related Activity Group even thought it was obvious her epilepsy was very serious indeed. We hope our advice on how to take her case forward helped.

‘Why not contact your MP’ we suggested intially, but the reply came that that her MP ‘was useless’ and not inclined to do anything? We ourselves know of other cases like this. Could it be that some MP’s are briefed not to do anything to aid cases, where injustice is being committed by the DWP against claimants? 

MP’s are not employees. The have an Ombudsman that oversees them, but unless a serious offense has been committed, or can be proved, issues like the person simply being lazy comes outside their remit (as we understand it).   MP’s do not have ‘Contracts of Employment’. If they do not do their jobs, they cannot be sacked without committing a very serious misdemeanour. MP's can only be voted out of office at a General Election unless they resign causing a by-election. If you have no reason to request help from your MP, and they represent (nationally) a political persuasion that you favour – an MP who really does little work, or who deliberately fails to represent his or her constituents in a fair and even handed manner, could  theoretically continue in office as long as their party stays in favour, to the point where they get re-elected almost automatically.

If you have an MP that you feel is not actively representing you, why not tell us? We certainly would give them a right of reply.

We have no firm evidence to support the argument that MP’s from a Party, committed to cutting welfare spending, are deliberately not taking forward complaints by constituents; but it is an interesting idea that was given to us this week by another aggrieved member of the public who was convinced that this was the case.