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Publication date:December 2020
This report presents a summary and analysis of all advice sought and delivered by the Scottish Citizens Advice network between April 2019 and March 2020.
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Publication date:December 2020
CAS Financial Statements for year ended 31st March 2019.
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Publication date:December 2020This is the Annual Report for Citizens Advice Scotland for the 2019-20 financial year.
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MPs will debate excess delivery charges at Westminster on 9 December 2020. CAS has campaigned on this issue for a number of years - read CAS's briefing to MPs here.Publication date:December 2020Spotlight:
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Publication date:December 2020
In 2018-19, the Citizens Advice network helped over 270,000 clients in Scotland with almost 750,000 advice issues. With support from the network, clients had financial gains of over £131 million and our self-help website Advice in Scotland received approximately 3.7 million views.
The Citizens Advice network issued 311,714 pieces of advice on benefit issues, the single largest area of advice for the network in 2018-19. Since February this year the network has provided over 85,000 pieces of advice on Universal Credit alone.
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This document contains data on housing advice code trends and the most common housing advice codes.Publication date:December 2020
This document summarises trends in advice code data related to housing. All charts are based on advice code data. These are recorded by advisers every time advice in relation to a particular topic is issued. All figures are expressed as percentages of their “parent” advice code category: e.g. housing advice is expressed as a proportion of all advice issues, and PRS advice is expressed as a proportion of all housing advice. This allows for more effective comparisons between months when overall numbers of clients fluctuate and/or there are changes in advice provision (e.g. the shift to telephone and email at lockdown).
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The Citizens Advice Scotland network magazinePublication date:December 2020Issue of 4 of the Citizens Advice network in Scotland magazine.
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Publication date:November 2020
Statistical briefing on advice given; client demographics based on an annual survey of CAB clients undertake for 4 weeks in November 2019 including comparison to SIMD data.
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Publication date:November 2020
Briefing on paid staff and volunteers; types of services provided to compliment the generalist service; client gains; how clients contacted CAB and the work undertaken by CAB in addition to giving advice.
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Publication date:November 2020
At the start of the on-going pandemic, CAS welcomed the quick action taken to boost the level of payment of Universal Credit (UC).
Since March, Scotland’s Citizens Advice Network has provided over 85,000 pieces of advice on Universal Credit. The role of UC in the social security safety-net has never been as important as in the current crisis.
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Publication date:November 2020
CAS produced this data briefing alongside a policy briefing calling for the £20 a week increase to Universal Credit to be made permanent.
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Publication date:November 2020
Citizens Advice Scotland recommends the draft regulations are amended to change or clarify a number of areas to improve the social security support provided to disabled children and young people.
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Publication date:November 2020
CAS welcomes a one-year extension to the Warm Home Discount scheme to 2021/22. As a result of the time pressures for securing this extension, we recognise the limitations of the proposals outlined. To have a meaningful impact, future changes to the scheme design must be complimented by an increase to the spending envelope. CAS also welcomes a discussion around devolution and the recognition that fuel poverty targeting could potentially be done more effectively at a national level.
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Publication date:November 2020Spotlight:
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Publication date:November 2020
Citizens Advice Scotland welcomes the opportunity to respond to WICS’ Strategic Review of Charges 2021-27: Draft Determination consultation.
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Publication date:November 2020
We work on the issues that matter to our network’s clients and our member CAB. Our focus is on delivering advocacy drawn from the experience and insights of the Scottish Citizens Advice network, which is rooted in communities across the country.
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Publication date:October 2020
Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the Social Security Committee’s call for evidence on the role of Scottish Social Security in COVID-19 recovery.
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Publication date:October 2020
Complex metering arrangements are found in significant numbers across both the Scottish electricity network distribution licence areas. Our advocacy on behalf of consumers in Scotland with non-E7 restricted meters is informed by the evidence of our network, where consumer detriment and problems with market access are commonly reported. CAS strongly supports the extension of SLC22G, but our response makes further recommendations to Ofgem which we believe require consideration if the extended market intervention is to be effective.
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Publication date:September 2020
In 2018-19, the Citizens Advice network helped over 270,000 clients in Scotland with almost 750,000 advice issues. With support from the network, clients had financial gains of over £131 million and our self-help website Advice in Scotland received approximately 3.7 million views.
The Citizens Advice network dealt with 110,439 debt issues around half of which were government or local authority debts. Advisers gave advice regarding benefit related debt problems, our main UK wide government debt issue on 5,557 occasions.
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Publication date:September 2020In 2019, Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) commissioned research to ascertain consumers’ views on and experiences of the gas and electricity distribution networks in Scotland, and their priorities for future distribution network investment. We also explored the attitudes of consumers in Scotland towards some of the potential changes in electricity use that may be required as the energy system evolves to support Scottish and UK Government climate change targets, and consumers' understanding and opinions of some of the technologies that are envisaged to aid the energy transition. In addition, we explored consumers’ views on a potential increase in the electrification of heat in Scotland, and their enthusiasm for and opinions of future opportunities to provide flexibility to their electricity distribution network operator.
This report summarises the results of our research and considers how Scotland’s gas and electricity distribution networks might be able to help redefine consumers’ relationship with the energy system in support of Scottish and UK Government climate change policies. It is published alongside a summary of its key findings and the final report compiled by our research partner, Accent.
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.