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Publication date:October 2014
CAS responded to the Scottish Government’s consultation on the Reservoirs (Scotland) Act 2011: Registration, Charging, Risk designation and associated aspects. CAS generally welcomed the proposals in the consultation which will help to provide communities with greater protection against the risk of flooding from reservoirs. CAS highlighted that would help to protect communities, and minimise the risks of businesses and consumers facing significant remedial and clean-up costs as a result of any damage caused by flooding from reservoirs.
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Publication date:October 2014
Fairness, Equality, Responsiveness: Citizens Advice Scotland’s Submission to The Smith Commission was submitted in October 2014.
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Written Evidence submissionPublication date:October 2014
Written Evidence submitted from the Citizens Advice Service (Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland) to the Business, Innovation & Skills Select Committee into Competition in the UK postal sector and the universal service obligation.
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Consultation by the Social Security Advisory CommitteePublication date:October 2014
CAS commented on a proposal to introduce seven benefit 'waiting days' for new Universal Credit claimants. This follows a recent increase in the number of waiting days from three to seven for JSA and ESA. We drew the SSAC's attention to a number of potential issues, including possible equalities impacts, the impact on housing and rent arrears, on other benefits and on in-work claimants on zero hours contracts.
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Unfair Charges for Parking on Private Land: A Report by Citizens Advice ScotlandPublication date:October 2014
Citizens Advice Bureaux across Scotland have been inundated in the last year with complaints regarding over-zealous parking charges - they are not fines - being handed out by the private parking industry in Scotland.
This has resulted in demand at the Citizens Advice service in Scotland reaching an unprecedented level – a 50% increase in cases regarding parking this year compared to last. This is an issue that affects everyone, but we are especially worried by cases brought to us by vulnerable Scots including those who are disabled and elderly caught out by poor signage and unfair appeals processes.
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Publication date:October 2014
CAS has responded to the EU’s consultation on EU drinking water policy. The consultation was launched in response to the European Citizens’ Initiative “Right2Water”. This is the first ever, successful participatory democracy instrument at EU level, and focuses on improving the supply of safe, good quality drinking water across the EU.
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House of Commons Public Bill CommitteePublication date:October 2014
The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill proposes changes on three specific issues of concern to CAS – the misuse of zero hours contracts, the non-payment of Employment Tribunal awards, and workers being paid less than the National Minimum Wage.
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A review of consumer issues brought to the service in 2013/14Publication date:October 2014
This report provides a snapshot of the issues that are affecting consumers in Scotland, examining both national and local trends. This is based on data provided by citizens advice bureaux in Scotland and data from the Citizens Advice consumer service.
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Publication date:October 2014
CAS welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Scottish Water (Objectives: 2015-21) Directions 2014 and Principles of Charging. As the representative body for water consumers in Scotland, CAS is strongly of the view that ‘affordability’ should remain a principle of charging to provide a commitment to work towards water and sewerage charges that are affordable for all consumers.
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Delays and assessmentsPublication date:October 2014
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a crucial benefit for many sick and disabled people. It is designed to help with the extra costs of being sick or having a disability, such as additional heating, additional travel costs, special diets, or specialist equipment. Its predecessor, Disability Living Allowance (DLA), has often been a mainstay for some of the most vulnerable clients attending citizens advice bureaux (CAB), particularly when there have been administrative problems with income-replacement benefits.
Scottish bureaux have been supporting clients to claim PIP since the benefit was first introduced in Scotland in June 2013. Since January 2014, the process of PIP reassessment was rolled out to a large swathe of Scotland, amounting to around half of the DLA caseload in Scotland. CAS carried out a survey of bureau advisers in August 20141 to find out the experiences of those making applications for Personal Independent Payment. This report looks at the feedback from bureaux, clients and advisers.
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Publication date:September 2014
CAS responded to the Low Pay Commission's consultation on what future rates of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) should be set at. Based on bureau evidence showing that workers earning the National Minimum Wage are increasingly struggling to afford essentials, CAS recommends the purpose of the NMW should increasingly focus on tackling low pay and in-work poverty, together with a proactive approach to targeting employers who do not pay their staff the National Minimum Wage.
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Publication date:September 2014
This submission was prepared by the Consumer Futures team within Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland (The Citizens Advice Service). It has statutory responsibilities to represent the interests of energy consumers in Great Britain and we welcome the opportunity to respond to this consultation.
In our view, the Draft Determination represents a mixed outcome for consumers. While there are positive elements we continue to be concerned that the DNOs will be over-remunerated under RIIO-ED1. We ask therefore that Ofgem clarifies the assumptions that underpin the headline figures in the Draft Determination and that reporting arrangements meeting this description are implemented in time for the commencement of RIIO-ED1 in April 2015.
We also take this opportunity to comment on some specific aspects of the Draft Determination that we have not addressed in detail in earlier submissions, including forecast savings from smart metering and grids, and losses.
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Citizens Advice Scotland responsePublication date:September 2014
CAS responds to the CMA's consultation on whether the personal current account market should be investigated.
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CAS submissionPublication date:September 2014
CAS has responded to the Independent Review of Personal Independence Payment.
The response, based on case evidence and a survey of advisers in bureaux across Scotland, highlights the severe impact huge delays in PIP assessments are having on claimants.
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Citizens Advice Scotland responsePublication date:August 2014
CAS have responded to the The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) consultation on plans to introduce a price-cap on high cost short term credit products.
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Publication date:August 2014
The rise in payday lending in the UK has led to a concurrent rise in the number of credit brokers who offer to search for loans for consumers for a fee. Evidence from the citizens advice service indicates that consumers can experience significant detriment and hardship caused by the (often unintentional) use of a credit broker. While brokers can offer a legitimate service, many of the industry practices, including providing misleading information, sharing personal details with other brokers, offering customer applications for the highest commission, and refusing to offer refunds, are in urgent need of change.
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Publication date:August 2014
CAS respond to the Scottish Government consultation on the Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Offshore Renewables
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"Litchfield Review"Publication date:August 2014
CAS responds to the final independent review of the Work Capability Assessment for Employment and Support Allowance benefit.
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The Newsletter of Citizens Advice ScotlandPublication date:August 2014
The summer 2014 Newsletter of Citizens Advice Scotland looks at the transfer of Consumer Futures, the Armed Services Advice Project and the #ChallengeIt campaign, amongst many other things.
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A discussion paperPublication date:August 2014
A discussion paper by Angus Citizens Advice Bureau looking at the Department for Work and Pension's "Digital by Default" strategy. In particular, the paper considers how this works for CAB clients in Angus, many of whom have difficulties with technology.
The report concludes that if the Government is to meet its target of moving 80% of all benefits claimants online, then it must take a multi-dimensional approach that takes into account the needs of the most vulnerable and marginalised members of our society to ensure that they are not offline and left behind.
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Stressed About Debt? High costs of energy, food and fuel mean that many people are finding it impossible to keep up, worrying about debt or falling behind on bills. The Citizens Advice network in Scotland is here for you, with free, confidential and impartial advice in a variety of ways.