Civil rights - In N. Ireland

I think my local council has made a complete mess of my housing benefit claim, although I did get the money in the end.  Someone told me that there is an ombudsman who can help me complain about how my claim was handled.

This information applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland

The local government ombudsman or in Northern Ireland the Northern Ireland ombudsman can investigate the way a local authority or in Northern Ireland, the Housing Executive has carried out its functions. The ombudsman is primarily concerned with the process, rather than the outcome, but in this case, it might make the claims system better for others.

To find out more about the local government ombudsman in England, see How to use an ombudsman in England, in Wales, see How to use an ombudsman in Wales or in Northern Ireland, see How to use an ombudsman in Northern Ireland.

Other Frequently asked questions about civil rights:

• My father has been living abroad for ten years and has just asked me if he can still vote in UK elections.
• My mother is in hospital and will be there during the election. She's asked me if I can arrange a proxy vote for her
• My neighbour has been in contact with a young woman in Portugal whom she met on holiday and wants to come to the UK as an au pair.  She's been told that EU nationals don’t need a special visa.  Is Portugal in the EU?
• My grandmother is going to be 100 in a couple of months and I want to be sure she gets a message from the Queen.  How do I go about it?
• I think I am being discriminated against at work because I am a woman.  What can I do?
• I'm a wheelchair user and my local library is really unhelpful about helping me to get books from the shelves.  Can I do something about this?
• I feel I am being racially discriminated against at work.  What can I do?
• I think I'm being treated unfairly because of my religion, is this legal?
• I'm being harassed at work because my colleagues think I'm gay. What can I do?