Useful Information
- What can I do for you?
- Housing
- Child Suppport Agency
- Tax Credits
- Immigration and Asylum
- Stoke-on-Trent Council Services
What can I do for you?
As your MP I am here to represent your interests at both a local and national level. If you have any concerns about your dealings with the Council, the Government or its departments or agencies, or any other local or national organisations; or if you wish to voice your opinion on currrent government policy I can bring these to the attention of the relevant minister or department. Many agencies are obliged to reply to an MP where they might not reply to a member of the public, and often I can ensure that you get a more satisfactory response to your query.
The House of Commons Information Office has published a useful leaflet entitled "You and Your MP" which provides more detail on the exact role and responsibilities of an MP.
Housing
Please contact me if you are experiencing difficulties with your housing provider. If you feel that you need to be rehoused and your provider is not taking full account of your needs or that essential services or repairs have not been provided to your property, I can then take up this matter with the relevant agency on your behalf.
City of Stoke-on-Trent Housing
Child Suppport Agency
If you are having difficulties with the Child Support Agency I'd be happy to do all I can to help. I will need to have your CSA number and the office which is dealing with your case (usually Dudley).
More information on the CSA, the service they provide and how payments are calculated can be found on their website:
Tax Credits
I'd be happy to take up your case with the Tax Credit Office and the Treasury Minister. Tax Credits have proved to be very helpful to very many people but when the Government makes an overpayment and then tries to reclaim that money months later (often seeking hundreds or even thousands of pounds) Tax Credits become a nightmare, not a blessing. If you have informed the Tax Credit Office of the changes in your income we can often successfully contest the claim back. But I will require all the relevant details.
Immigration and Asylum
Asylum If you have applied for Asylum in the UK but are experiencing an unacceptable level of delay or feel that your case has not been properly assessed I can approach the Home Office on your behalf. Please be aware that due to the complexity of many cases they often take a long time to process, sometimes several years, and it is important to be realistic about this. However that is not an excuse for poor service on the part of the Home Office and please do contact me if you feel I can in anyway assist with your difficulties. I hold a special Asylum and Immigration Surgery at 2pm on the first Friday of every month at the Citizen's Advice Bureau in Hanley. We will always need your Home Office Reference Number in order to be able to contact the Home Office on your behalf. NASS I can also approach the National Asylum Support Service on your behalf if you feel you are not receiving the support that you should be entitled to or you feel that the standard and maintenance of accomodation you have been provided with is unacceptable. Please contact me with details of your complaint and I will take the matter up on your behalf. I am currently pursuing a campaign with the Home Office in the hope that an official body can be established to inspect standards of asylum accomodoation and ensure that proper guidelines are being adhered to. Passports If you are applying for a new passport it is important that you make sure that you allow enough time for the application to be processed prior to any upcoming travel. More information on applying for a passport and processing times can be found on the Identity and Passport Service website. The Post Office also offer a useful checking service for Passport applications which can avoid delays caused by errors or omissions in applications. Visas and Work Permits Many visa applications fail due to a lack of correct supporting documentation, it is important to check exactly what documentation is required and include this with the application. If an application fails you will lose your fee and will not necessarily have the right to appeal. More information on applying for tourist visas for relatives and friends can be found in the Visiting the UK section of the UK Border Agency website. If you are experiencing delays or difficulties renewing your visa or work permit, I can approach the UK Border Agency on your behalf.
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