Complaints
Introduction
Staff in the Home Office and its Agencies are
committed to providing you with an efficient and
courteous service, but it is inevitable that things will
go wrong occasionally. Let us know when this happens so
that we can put matters right as soon as possible.
Equally, if you have any suggestions about how we might
improve our service generally, we will be happy to
listen.
Our complaints procedures are solely designed to look
into matters when someone is dissatisfied about the way
in which a service has been delivered, such as rudeness
on the telephone or delays in replying to
correspondence. They do not cover disagreements about
government policy or legislation. So if you are unhappy
about an aspect of legislation or a policy decision,
whether it be in general terms or concerning an
individual case, you will need to ask someone to take
this up for you. Your local MP, a solicitor or your
local Citizen's Advice Bureau are good starting
points.
What to do if you have a
complaint about the standard of service we have provided
Immigration & Nationality, Forensic Science,
Prisons, Passports, Criminal Records
The Home Office is a large organisation with widely
differing responsibilities. Different parts of the
Department have their own particular procedures for
dealing with complaints. If you have a problem with the
standard of service that you have received from the
Immigration & Nationality Directorate or one of our
agencies, you can get advice on how to complain by
clicking on the appropriate link below:
General enquiries from the
public made by letter, telephone and e-mail
If you have approached the Home Office with a general
enquiry, then the chances are that it will have been
handled by the Direct Communications Unit of the
Communication Directorate. If you are unhappy with the
service given, then click here
to see our service standards and complaints procedure.
Other areas of the Home Office
If your complaint or suggestion concerns any other
part of the Home Office, you should take it up initially
with the person with whom you have been dealing. If you
are unhappy with their response and want to take matters
further, ask how and to whom you should complain. They
will explain how you should proceed.
What to do if you are unhappy
with the reply to your complaint
If you are dissatisfied with the reply to your
complaint, or the way in which it was dealt, it is open
to you to take up the matter with the Parliamentary
Commissioner for Administration - the Ombudsman -
who will investigate your case: www.ombudsman.org.uk
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