Action on Behalf of Constituents

Each month, Ellie’s constituents bring hundreds of matters to her attention by phone, email, letters and in person. Where Ellie is asked to become involved in supporting constituents on these issues which affect them personally, this is known as casework. Both Ellie and her caseworkers look at how they can support individuals and families; this might be direct support, involvement of other agencies and organisations, or the use of parliamentary mechanisms to call for action at a national level.  Many cases involve action in Westminster and in constituency.  Below are some examples of cases which demonstrate the kind of topics where Ellie’s involvement is most appropriate for constituents.  Please note that the style of describing the cases is to respect the privacy of the constituents concerned and thus a broad brush description only is given.

Benefits

A constituent had their PIP withdrawn as a result of a clerical error, followed by inconsistent and unsatisfactory correspondence from the department handling the case.  Ellie wrote to complain about the handling of this constituent’s case and requested reinstatement of the benefit at the appropriate level.  All benefits were reinstated.

Childcare

Two constituents, both serving in the armed forces, were struggling to find a nursery for their child due to the lack of availability in the local area.  Ellie got in touch with the garrison and reached out to local nurseries to find a solution.  A waiting list place was identified, and the infant was soon enrolled in local nursery.

Consumers

A constituent’s address was not receiving its post, being missed out from Royal Mail’s route due to staff shortages. Ellie brought this to the attention of Royal Mail on the constituent’s behalf, receiving an explanation, an apology, and a commitment to do better. The constituent commented on how the postal service had gotten much better for the local community.

Domestic Abuse

A constituent gave evidence to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) and was worried the government were not taking the necessary steps to implement its recommendations. Ellie wrote to Jess Phillips, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls calling for immediate action. The minister replied reassuring the constituent that an ambitious programme to implement the report’s recommendations would be set out.

Flooding

A constituent was worried about the run-off from a neighbouring property during heavy rainfall. Ellie wrote to the council requesting a clean-up. The Environmental Agency was also advised, making sure issues such as this can be dealt with nationally.

Health

A constituent had been waiting for a gynacological operation for much longer than the target waiting times. Ellie submitted a written question to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care based on the shortcomings identified in the constituent’s case. Additionally she drew the case to the attention of the local NHS Trust to understand the cause of the delays. The constituent received an operation date.

Homes

A constituent had applied for the ECO4 scheme but was denied. The EC04 scheme is a government initiative to improve the energy efficiency of homes.  The sticking point was the classification of the property: domestic versus commercial.  Ellie asked for a review of the property status by the scheme compliance team, pointing to relevant pieces of information.  With a definitive assessment of the property as domestic, the constituent continued with the application and the work to install radiators, a heat pump and solar panels has been completed.

Homelessness

A constituent fell into homelessness and was separated from their family due to mental health issues. Ellie navigated the difficulties of under-funded mental health services and helped the constituent to find housing from a local charity.

Local Government

Two constituents were faced with an increased council tax bill following the death of a family member. Ellie wrote to the council to understand why premiums and differentiations on the tax had been applied. Ellie was able to provide the constituents an avenue for council tax reduction on the property.

Pensions

A constituent’s pension had not been forthcoming for a few months. Ellie wrote to the Department for Work and Pensions to find a solution. The mistake was identified by the DWP and the constituent’s pension was reinstated.

Planning

A constituent approached Ellie when the Planning Inspectorate had taken over 75 weeks without a decision made on an enforcement appeal (written representations) against an average of around 60 weeks.  The Planning Inspectorate was asked to ensure that the case was not subject to any unnecessary delays.  A response was forthcoming within 8 weeks.

Private Transport

A constituent had their licence suspended due to health issues, but despite being given the all-clear from a doctor they were left with a lengthy turn around. The constituent needed the licence to support their family. The DVLA was called and within 3 days the license had been re-issued.

Public Transport

Ellie organised a drop-in session with West Midlands Railways (WMR). This gave constituents the opportunity to meet senior representatives, providing a space for feedback and comments on the service.

Roads

A constituent was very concerned about the state of the roads in a locality in the north west of the constituency.  They were steered to report the issue via the Council’s reporting system.  This also gave insight into when the repairs were projected to happen.  The exact date of the repairs was provided to the constituent.  Ellie asked the Department of Transport what additional funding they would give rural local authorities to repair their roads.  She also signed an Early Day Motion which asked the government to invest in the rural road network on the basis of improving road safety.  Ellie raised the matter in a debate on local government finance.

Science and Tech

A region of the constituency was cut off from telephone lines and broadband access. Ellie wrote to Openreach, who addressed the issue. This reconnected many of residents.

Social Housing

A constituent had been facing issues with damage to their windows. Ellie reached out to the social housing organisation responsible, asking them to find a solution. The windows were fixed and a compensation package arranged for the constituent.