Time taken to get an MP referral
“ I felt that I had to start afresh with an MP. As matters have turned out there was a very long delay between me contacting the MP and my MP sending an acknowledgement that he had received the relevant papers. That interval was approximately two and a half months.”
We asked customers who had tried and succeeded in contacting their MP, but who had not managed to get a referral within 3 months, whether their MP referred their case to the Parliamentary Ombudsman after that time. Nine out of the 27 (35 per cent) customers who met these criteria said that their MP did eventually refer their complaint. One customer was unsure as to whether the complaint had been referred or not.
Reasons for not referring cases
22 per cent of those who succeeded in contacting the MP did not have their case referred. The main reasons for not referring were:
- the MP suggesting alternative routes
- the MP did not believe the case merited referral
- the customer was still waiting for the MP to respond – and this was longer than the 3 month referral period
Reasons for the MP not referring the case
Q: Why didn’t your MP refer your case?
Base: 17 (Those who never obtained an MP referral, either within 3 months or at a later date.)
