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Issue 7 of the Citizens Advice Scotland network magazinePublication date:December 2021
Here is the Autumn/Winter 2021 edition of Voice. In this issue we focus on some if the green issues that we have all been thinking about in the wake of COP26. We hear from colleagues who attended the climate summit and learn a bit about their roles there. Patrick Harvie MSP shares his thoughts on the event and tells us how we, as a network, can support Net Zero ambitions. We also take a look at a range of energy related issues - from the BESW campaign to fuel poverty and rising energy costs. The Increase Volunteering project team gave us the low down on how they ae supporting training and Roxburgh CAB are ahead of the game in helping their local community to comply with upcoming fire and smoke alarm regulations.
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Publication date:November 2021
The Fuel Poverty (Targets, Definition and Strategy) (Scotland) Act 2019 requires the Scottish Government to publish a fuel poverty strategy, outline what steps will be taken to meet fuel poverty targets and identify the characteristics of households likely to be in fuel poverty or for whom getting out of fuel poverty presents particular challenges.
The Citizens Advice network in Scotland gathers demographic data on those who contact their local Citizens Advice Bureau for support as well as information on the types of issues on which people seek advice, including fuel poverty. This demographic data allows for examination of CAB clients who have protected characteristics and whether they are more or less likely to seek advice on fuel poverty-related issues.
This report analyses that data within the policy context, considers other relevant literature, and makes a number of recommendations.
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Publication date:November 2021
CAS welcomes the Consumer Duty consultation paper. We believe that, in principle, Scottish public bodies should have an embedded duty to consider the impact that decisions related to policy, and adopted practice could, and does, have on those engaging in its services, particularly vulnerable consumers. Scotland’s Citizens Advice network regularly deals with clients who are impacted by a lack of regard to consumer outcomes or who fall victim to poor service design.
We believe that a consumer duty will strengthen consumer protection from unintended consequences resulting from public authority decision-making. It is essential that a consumer duty results in meaningful improvements in the consumer journey and achieves positive outcomes for public authority service users.
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Publication date:November 2021
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Publication date:November 2021
Citizens Advice Scotland response to the Scottish Government consultation on COVID recovery
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Publication date:November 2021
Citizens Advice Scotland has responded to the Scottish Civil Justice Council consultation on Rules Covering the Mode of Attendance at Court Hearings
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Publication date:October 2021Spotlight:
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Publication date:October 2021
This year the eyes of the world will be upon Glasgow for COP26, as parties and delegates try to accelerate action on climate change. Citizens Advice Scotland supports Net Zero and we want to see a just transition that creates good quality jobs and doesn’t increase the burden on the poorest consumers. That Net Zero must also be tangible and accessible to the poorest consumers is a theme that has run through much of our policy and research work in the run-up to COP26, highlights of which are set out in this document.
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Publication date:October 2021
CAS Financial Statements for year ended 31st March 2020.
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Publication date:October 2021
CAS Financial Statements for year ended 31st March 2021.
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Publication date:October 2021
In May 2019, The Scottish Government committed to establishing an independent Energy Consumers Commission (ECC) to enhance the voice of consumers who reside in Scotland within the energy market. The Commission was formed in July 2020 consisting of representatives with a wealth of experience in national consumer advocacy and advice bodies, academia and local groups serving energy consumers in their communities.
The Priority Services Register (PSR) is a record held by energy suppliers and network operators which enables them to provide additional support services to consumers in vulnerable situations.
Ofgem practices principles-based regulation in relation to vulnerability, and although suppliers and network operators broadly determine who can benefit from their PSRs, a level of consistency is ensured across the industry by a common framework of needs codes and vulnerability flags.
Previous research has found that the strength and depth of priority services, and those they seek to support, varies both between different PSR holders, and across different parts of Great Britain.
This briefing, based on research commissioned from Changeworks, examines how experiences of the PSR vary in Scotland in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the early stages of the transition to low carbon heating and electric vehicles. It also summarises the Commission’s recommendations on how the services offered and/or the range of vulnerabilities provided for under PSRs and other energy industry vulnerability initiatives can be improved.
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A snapshot of citizens advice bureaux clientsPublication date:October 2021
Our 8th edition in the 'Who Are You?' series describes those coming to citizens advice bureaux in Scotland for advice during November 2019.
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Publication date:October 2021
The day-to-day activities of citizens are becoming increasingly dependent on their ability to use telecommunications services, such as mobile phones, broadband or landlines. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the essential nature of online connectivity and access to internet data, with many people relying on internet access for working from home, staying informed or interacting with welfare services.
Executive Summary
CAS generally supports the measures proposed by Ofcom. In summary:
- The voluntary measures to support consumers introduced by providers during the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic were welcomed by CAS, as an effective response that has assisted in reducing consumer detriment over the past year.
- With consumers facing potential economic uncertainty as furlough and support schemes taper and Universal Credit uplifts look likely to be reversed, we believe it is timely to reconsider whether the protections for people in debt or struggling to pay remain appropriate, or whether there is a case for strengthening them.
- CAS supports measures which allow consumers in debt or at risk of disconnection to be treated fairly and have every opportunity to resolve these issues before disconnection takes place or service restrictions are imposed.
- CAS welcomes proposals to improve how providers identify and communicate with vulnerable consumers.
- CAS agrees that there should be more consistency in the ways providers communicate regarding debt and the ways they seek to obtain payment from customers in debt.
- CAS would wish to see the Consumer Principles embedded within the development of future measures, guidance, and regulations.
- CAS remains concerned regarding affordability issues and would welcome an early engagement approach by providers which aims to prevent a build up of debt
- We believe that further work is required to encourage providers to not only provide but to actively encourage take up of social tariffs for consumers who may be at risk of falling into debt.
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Publication date:October 2021
In May 2019, The Scottish Government committed to establishing an independent Energy Consumers Commission (ECC) to enhance the voice of consumers who reside in Scotland within the energy market. The Commission was formed in July 2020 consisting of representatives with a wealth of experience in national consumer advocacy and advice bodies, academia and local groups serving energy consumers in their communities.
Eradicating fuel poverty has been a policy priority for the Scottish Government since 2016, and has been a statutory obligation since the passage of the Fuel Poverty (Targets, Definition and Strategy) (Scotland) Act in 2019. While fuel poverty has been formally defined since 2019, and a fuel poverty strategy is expected in 2021, fuel debt has not been given the same attention by researchers and policy makers.
Fuel debt is likely to become more prevalent and more unmanageable this winter as energy prices rise, and financial support such as the £20/week Universal Credit uplift and furlough end. This briefing, based on research commissioned from Changeworks, examines how fuel debt differs from fuel poverty, what key issues exist in Scotland, and the Commission’s recommendations on how to address rising levels of fuel debt.
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Publication date:October 2021
Citizens Advice Scotland has responded to the call for evidence from the Scottish Parliament's Criminal Justice committee on the reform of Legal Aid.
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Publication date:October 2021
This report provides a strategic overview of CAS’s body of evidence, bringing together policy insights, alongside evidence from the most recently commissioned research. It presents an analysis of the challenges, barriers and opportunities faced by private water supply users and communities and offers a consolidated set of recommendations, that acknowledges the commonality of findings across CAS’s evidence base.
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Publication date:October 2021
Scotland’s Citizens Advice Network is an essential community service that empowers people through our local bureaux and national services by providing free, confidential, and independent advice. We use people’s real-life experiences to influence policy and drive positive change. We are on the side of people in Scotland who need help, and we change lives for the better.
Citizens Advice Scotland are pleased to respond to the department of Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy's consultation on Reforming Competition and Consumer Policy. CAS plays a significant role in the provision of consumer advice and advocacy in Scotland, and we recognise the significance of the proposed reforms for consumers. We welcome the UK Government’s focus on Consumer and Competition policy and the role it can play in promoting long-term economic development and consumer protection during the post pandemic recovery.
Executive Summary
CAS welcomes the opportunity to respond to this consultation. We also welcome many of the proposed reforms, however it is essential that reform results in meaningful improvements in the consumer journey and achieves positive outcomes for consumers. We believe the consumer needs to be placed at the heart of consumer policy and would recommend that the consumer principles and the principle of “fairness by design” be used as an overarching guide to assess and inform consumer policy.
In relation to the detail of the proposed reforms CAS’s views are as follows:
• We support the granting of additional powers to the CMA but have mixed views on whether the CMA’s priorities should be informed by governmental direction.
• We wish to see a greater ability for regulators to respond to the differential impacts of competition across the devolved nations.
• We are of the view that these reforms provide an opportunity to further strengthen and enhance the function of the Consumer Protection Partnership to improve collaboration and responsiveness on consumer protection issues.
• We believe that further action is required to equip consumers with the skills and knowledge to participate in online markets safely; in this regard we support proposals to reform the use of subscription services.
• We wish to see reforms which make it easier for consumers to understand their rights and to take swifter, more effective action to enforce these rights.
• We believe there is a need for better education on consumer rights as well as a need for clearer information to be provided about Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) so that consumers understand what it is.
• We are of the view that the ADR landscape is overly cluttered and would support streamlining to provide for one consumer ADR provider in each sector. As a minimum, there should be a single branded entry point for people wishing to access ADR on consumer matters.
• We recommend that ADR providers should report to regulators on trends. This would close the feedback loop and help drive up standards across regulated industries by enabling regulators to take action to prevent consumer detriment.
• We would wish to see Competent Authorities play a role in setting and monitoring common standards across the sector, including in relation to how providers support vulnerable consumers.
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Publication date:October 2021
Citizens Advice Scotland is pleased to respond to this Green Paper consultation on the future of disability support. Last year, the Citizens Advice network in Scotland gave out over 168,500 pieces of advice on disability benefits, making it our biggest area of advice.
The experience of clients coming to the Citizens Advice network in Scotland for advice shows that Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) disability benefits are often inadequate, difficult and complex to access, and can feature distressing and undignified medical assessments - all while being too restrictive in their eligibility criteria. Throughout this response, we draw on case examples from across Scotland and suggest solutions which would profoundly improve clients’ experiences.
We welcome this Green Paper as the beginning of a discussion to improve the benefits and support available to people with disabilities, but caution that this should not be seen as a cost-saving exercise and should seek to maximise options and supports rather than limit them. As we will go into in more depth in the course of this paper, some of the proposals made in the Green Paper could lead to a better experience for many people, but more detail is required. Importantly, independent advice and advocacy should always be available for all who wish to access it.
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Publication date:September 2021
The universal broadband service is intended to give everyone the right to request a decent and affordable broadband connection, subject to certain eligibility criteria. CAS was pleased to see Ofcom investigate this issue and welcomes commitments from the Universal Service Provider, to change its approach for quotes, to refund affected customers and re-issue quotes it has previously provided. We note from the Connected Nations report that around 3-4% of Scottish properties are currently unable to receive a decent broadband connection and may therefore be eligible for a USO connection and this move will make it easier for those households to gain access to decent and affordable broadband. It will also make it easier for communities in affected areas to work together to share costs of connections where costs would make connections unaffordable for individuals. The submission below confirms our support for these measures.
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CAS Briefing on Polling on the Universal Services ObligationPublication date:September 2021
This briefing sets out the results of research conducted on CAS’s behalf by YouGov, in April 2021, using a representative sample of the Scottish population aged 18 or over. The sample size of respondents was 1,029. This research focused on understanding consumer usage of postal services in Scotland, and it included questions regarding affordability, usage, surcharge and other issues covered by the Universal Post Service.
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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.