The UK government maintains a robust network of complaints bodies and regulatory mechanisms - resources designed for civic engagement that have historically been dominated by two groups: pensioners (with their abundant free time) and the well-organised political left. There's a significant opportunity for concerned and upstanding citizens to make more effective use of these existing channels.

Below, I've outlined several practical ways that people can responsibly utilise these mechanisms to ensure fair enforcement of existing laws and promote accountability in our institutions:

• See a job posting or scheme specifying ethnic backgrounds? Email the EHRC

• Reckon your local cash only barber shop is hiring illegal migrants? Report it to the Immigration Enforcement hotline

• Saw a TikToker brag about PIP fraud under their full name? Fill out a quick form and let the DWP know

Because this is the UK and nothing works properly, it's ultimately unlikely that most individual complaints will be thoroughly investigated. However, reporting these issues remains worthwhile for several reasons:

1. Each complaint helps feed into a wider pattern of accusations against an individual or company, making them more likely to face a proper investigation eventually.

2. These bodies benefit from having complaints on record for their own reporting mechanisms and to better understand the nature of offenses occurring.

3. When complaints are ignored or inadequately addressed, this provides useful evidence highlighting just how broken the system truly is.

4. Even complaints that merely result in an annoyance or delay for the targets serve as valuable roadblocks - and that's at least a start.

Some tips and things to bear in mind:

• Let AI do the heavy lifting. Save time by using AI tools to draft your initial reports and follow-ups. Just feed it the details, mention which organisation you're contacting, the specifics of the complaint, and what framework or law you’re acting under and you'll have a solid starting point. Just be sure to review everything carefully before sending to add your personal touch!

• Be persistent with follow-ups. These agencies get swamped with hundreds of emails daily. A quick check-in every week or so shows you're serious and helps your report stand out from the crowd.

• Pick up the phone when possible. A friendly phone call often works wonders compared to emails. You'll get real-time responses and build a personal connection with whoever's handling your case.

• Keep it friendly and professional. A positive approach goes a long way! The people reviewing your report will appreciate your courtesy and may be more motivated to help someone who's pleasant to work with, a huge amount of the correspondence these people receive will be both aggressive and incoherrent

• Know the chain of command. If you receive no response or an unsatisfactory one, look into who holds that body accountable. It could be a government department (e.g., the EHRC sits under the Cabinet Office). Even if the parent organisation won't actually intervene, sometimes just mentioning them in your follow-up can prompt action. If you have a half decent MP ask them to raise questions around your lack of satisfactory response in parliament or with the relevant minister directly.

Equality Act Violations

What can you report?

The Equality Act prohibits discrimination across multiple sectors including: employment (job postings, hiring processes, workplace conditions); housing (property listings, rentals, sales); education (admissions, scholarships, grants); provision of services (business access, pricing structures); public functions (government funding, facility access); private clubs (membership criteria); transportation (service access).

The characteristics the act prevents discrimination against are:

• Age

• Disability

• Gender reassignment

• Marriage and civil partnership

• Pregnancy and maternity

• Race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin)

• Religion or belief

• Sex

• Sexual orientation

The act does allow for "positive action" measures where people who share a protected characteristic:

• Suffer a disadvantage connected to that characteristic

• Have different needs

• Have disproportionately low participation in an activity

However, these requirements are often not met in practice. When challenged, many organisations can't provide solid evidence justifying their exclusive programs. Making groups prove the need for special treatment is an important safeguard against unfair preferences, even if just adding an additional barrier or step to carrying them out. If an organisation can't clearly show why their program needs to exclude certain people based on protected characteristics, and demonstrate that it's actually effective, they should face questions.

How do you report?

You should email correspondence@equalityhumanrights.com with:

• Evidence of the violation (preferably a live link and a screenshot/pdf), explanation of how it violates the Equality Act

• How this violates the Equality Act

• The damage this violation causes

• That you understand that the EHRC has various powers to address such discrimination, including investigating the company, issuing advisory notices, entering into legally binding agreements, or taking enforcement action if necessary and that equally if there are next steps you an take through other channels to have this addressed it would be great if they could let you know

What can they do?

Upon receiving a complaint, the EHRC can launch a formal investigation, issue legally binding notices requiring action, arrange legally enforceable agreements to remedy discrimination, or pursue strategic legal cases in court. They can also provide legal assistance to individuals bringing discrimination claims, issue compliance notices to organisations failing to meet their equality duties, and conduct wider inquiries into systemic issues. Realistically, when reporting minor infringements, little is likely to follow other than a warning. However, it is vital that the EHRC has such infringements on their records if they are to become a priority. Historically, left-leaning groups have taken advantage of this reporting function much more effectively, helping to shape enforcement priorities.

Immigration Offences

What can you report?

• Individuals living or working illegally

• Employers hiring illegal workers

• illegal working (specific regulated sectors)

• Involvement in smuggling or illegal immigration

How do you report?

You can report any of the above via the Gov.uk public allegations form ‘Report an immigration or customs crime’ or by calling the immigration enforcement hot desk on 0300 123 7000. You should only make reports where you have a viable amount of information for authorities to realistically take action on such as specific company names, addresses, details of violations.

What can they do?

If your report is viable Immigration Enforcement can take various actions in response to reports, including:

• Conduct raids and compliance visits at workplaces suspected of employing illegal workers

• Issue civil penalties to employers (up to £20,000 per illegal worker)

• Arrest, detain and initiate deportation proceedings against individuals without legal status

• Launch criminal investigations against smugglers or trafficking networks

• Issue Closure Notices to businesses repeatedly employing illegal workers

• Coordinate with other agencies like HMRC and police for joint enforcement operations

• Seize assets obtained through immigration crime under the Proceeds of Crime Act

• Issue Immigration Bail with reporting conditions for those under investigation

The severity of response typically depends on the scale of the offense, with organised immigration crime receiving priority attention over individual cases.

Benefits Fraud

What can you report?

• Working and claiming benefit: Not declaring they are working, or under reporting hours worked or earnings, including cash in hand.

• Living with a partner while claiming to be living alone: A partner could be a husband, wife, civil partner or someone they live with as if they were married or in a civil partnership.

• Dishonestly claiming a disability benefit: They do not have the disability they are claiming for.

• Dishonestly claiming a carer's benefit: They do not provide care but claim to do so, or the person they've said they care for doesn't need it.

• Claiming benefits but not living in the UK: Their benefit claim is based on a UK address and they have not told the relevant government department they now live abroad.

• Using a fraudulent identity: They have claimed a benefit using a false identity or someone else's name, National Insurance number or other personal details.

• Not declaring savings or other non-work related income: Non-work related income includes savings, inheritance, winnings, property, pensions or compensation.

• Any other benefit fraud you can detail

How do you report?

At a minimum, you will need: basic information about the fraud, the person’s name and any nicknames, and the person’s approximate age. Information around the person’s address, exact age, phone number, and NI number will make any claim more likely to be investigated.

Reports can be made via the Gov.uk benefits fraud report form or via the National Benefit Fraud Hotline on 0800 854 440.

What can they do?

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) can take several actions when investigating benefit fraud:

• Launch a formal investigation, including surveillance in serious cases

• Interview suspects under caution

• Cross-check information with other government databases and employers

• Impose administrative penalties (up to £5,000)

• Recover overpaid benefits through direct repayment or deductions from future benefits

• Issue formal cautions for minor cases with clear evidence

• Prosecute serious cases, which could result in criminal records, fines, community service, or imprisonment

• Apply a "two strikes" rule where repeat offenders face benefit suspension

• Implement benefit sanctions or disqualification periods

• Refer cases to specialist teams for complex or organised fraud

The DWP typically prioritises cases with strong evidence and higher value fraud, with prosecution generally reserved for the most serious or persistent offenders.

This is very much an undefinitive list - there are swathes of other mechanisms the right simply does not utilise in the same way as the left - OFCOM complaints around both traditional and social media, council regulations on landlords and council/social housing tenants illegally subletting their properties, anti-social behaviour redress mechanisms. Should this list prove popular I will look to update it with as many of these channels as possible.

Happy reporting!