I GET about 200 letters a week from constituents on a whole host of problems that they experience with Government departments and services.

Tax Credit overpayments is something that is raised on a very frequent basis. Too many families find that, despite keeping the tax people well informed about changes in their job and circumstances, they end up owing hundreds or even thousands of pounds to the Government in Tax Credit overpayments.

The system Gordon Brown created is so complex that not even Government officials can make it work.

I am concerned that it can leave families in a debt trap as they attempt to repay money paid out by this ill-thought-out and hugely flawed system.

Last year, up and down the country, two million people had to pay £2billion of Tax Credit money back to the Government. The scale of the problem has led to the formation of a new organisation, Tax Credit Casualties - you can find more details at www.TaxCC.org EARLIER in the week, I met teachers, parents and local authorities from around the country to hear more about the work they do to improve the provision of Special Educational Needs for children throughout the county.

I know that many parents in Basingstoke are particularly concerned about the objectivity of the statementing process.

I think change is long overdue. Assessments of children's needs should be conducted by independent assessors, not the local authority. Little wonder so many parents are concerned that local authority financial constraints could be influencing the assessment of their children's needs.

Separating assessment and funding could do a great deal to help build parents' confidence in the statementing system, and so reduce the wasted time and money spent on appeals.

I AM always delighted to be invited along to community events.

If you have an event that you want to let me know about, or are involved with an organisation that you feel deserves special recognition, please drop me a line.

I see it as an important part of my job to do all I can to support community organisations as much as I can.

4:36pm Wednesday 26th March 2008

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