A parent's MP can also ask the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to look into their complaint.
The Ombudsman investigates complaints from members of the public, referred by a Member of Parliament, where they have suffered injustice because of maladministration by Government departments or certain other public bodies. Maladministration generally means poor administration or the wrong application of rules.
The Ombudsman would expect a parent to first raise their complaint with us and allow us to sort out the problem if we can. They will not normally become involved in a complaint before this has happened and a complaint has been through our complaints process. This includes, where appropriate, having the complaint reviewed by the Independent Case Examiner.
The Ombudsman is independent of the Government and is not a civil servant. The Ombudsman is an officer of the House of Commons appointed by the Queen and who reports to Parliament. All complaints are confidential, the investigations are private and there is no charge for the service provided.
You can get more information about the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman:
- from their website Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
- by phone on 0345 015 4033 (lines are open from 8.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday)
- in writing to:
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP
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Related information
- Read our leaflet
"How do I complain about the service I get from the Child Support Agency? " [PDF 204KB]
