Part of your MP’s job is to help people with problems but, before asking for their help, you should try to solve the problem yourself.

Problems your MP can help with include:

• NHS health services like hospitals and doctors
• tax and National Insurance - money you pay to the Government when you work
• benefits - money you may get like Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Income Support
• big problems with schools - for example, if a school is closing down

They might be able to help by:

• writing to someone about your problem for you
• asking the Government for help
• supporting you to change something

Your MP is not the best person to help with problems involving:

• neighbours
• employers  - these are the people you work for
• family 
• landlords - these are people you rent a home from

Who is your MP?

If you are not sure who your MP is, you can:

• ask at your local library or town hall
• Call the MP’s information line, 0207 219 4272
• Visit findyourmp  - you will need to know your postcode

How to get in touch with your MP:

• write to them at this address:

House of Commons

London

SW1A 0AA

You will need to write your Member of Parliament's (MP’s) name at the top of the address

• phone 020 7219 3000 and ask to be put through to the office of your MP
• email them - their address should be on their website or you can phone the MP information line on 020 7219 4272 to find out
• go to see them face-to-face - you can find out where and when you can do this by:
  • asking at your local library
  • looking on your MP's website
  • phoning your Member of Parliament's (MP’s) office

If you are arrested, it means the police think you may have been involved in a crime. If you are detained, it is because the police need to find out some more information about how you were involved.

If a police officer tries to arrest you, you must never resist arrest and it is important that you try to keep calm and not panic.

You have the right to:

• ask for a solicitor - this is someone who will help you understand the crime the police think you were involved with and your rights
• tell someone you trust that you have been arrested
• be treated fairly
• ask why you have been arrested
• not answer questions
• ask for an interpreter, who will explain things in your own language - this includes a sign language interpreter

If you are under the age of 17 or have a learning disability, you also have the right to have an 'appropriate adult' with you whilst you are being asked questions. An 'appropriate adult' could be your parents or a support worker you know.

If you are arrested or detained, this is what will happen:

• a police officer will ask you your name and your date of birth
• a police officer will caution you, which means the police officer will tell you that:
  • you do not have to say anything
  • if you say anything the police officer will write it down
  • what you have said may be used as evidence
• a police officer will ask you if you understood the caution
• a police officer will take you to a local police station
• you will be told why you have been arrested or detained
• you will be searched and the things you have with you (personal belongings) will be taken away - you will get these back later
• if you are under 17 years old or the police do not think you understand their questions, an 'appropriate adult' may be requested
• a police officer will tell your solicitor you have been arrested or detained

The police may want to:

• take your fingerprints
• take your photograph
• take a DNA sample - the inside of your mouth will be gently brushed with a cotton bud
• ask a doctor to see you

You may need to stay at the police station whilst the police get more information - you could be kept in a room called a police cell and, if the police believe you have done something wrong and committed a crime, they may charge you.

If you are charged with a crime:

• the police may keep you in the police cell and you will go to court the next day
• you may be given back your personal belongings and allowed to go home - you will be given a letter telling you when you need to go to court

If you are not charged with a crime, your personal belongings will be given back to you and you will be allowed to go home.

A disability hate crime is a crime that you think has happened to you, or someone else thinks has happened to you, because you have a disability.

The person who does it could be a stranger or someone you know. For example, a hate crime might be if someone:

• comes to your house and does not leave when you ask them to
• hits you or says they are going to hit you
• takes or damages your things
• calls you bad names face-to-face, on the internet or by text message

If any of these things happen to you, you have been a victim of crime and you do not have to put up with it:

• tell someone you trust and they can help make sure it does not happen again 
• tell the police - you can phone 999 if it is something that is serious or dangerous and needs to be stopped quickly or, if it is not an emergency, you can call 101 or visit a police station 
• report the incident on True Vision
• tell your parents or carers, teachers or someone at your day centre
• contact the Citizens Advice Bureau
• use the True Vision hate crime and incident reporting form to help record the details of the incident

Find out more in our law resources.