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Publication date:February 2016
CAS has recently responded to a consultation by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) on aids and appliances and the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
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MCCP 190, 191, 193Publication date:January 2016
CAS response on notification of the latest change proposals to the Market and Operational Code:
MCCP190 - Performance Standard Amendments
MCCP191 – Vacancy Definition
MCCP193 - Change to the Gap Site Letter Process
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Second ReadingPublication date:January 2016
The Benefit Sanctions Regime (Entitlement to Hardship Payments) Bill is a Private Members' Bill introduced by Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh MP. It would ensure that hardship payments are available to claimants who have had their benefit sanctioned from day one of a sanction period, and that such payments would be made automatically.
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Response to UK Parliament Work and Pensions Committee InquiryPublication date:January 2016In-work progression support provided should be appropriate to an individual claimant’s circumstances. Support should aim to help claimants find a job that is better suited to their skills, experience, ambitions and individual requirements. It should not merely consist of setting targets to apply for a particular number of jobs each week, without regard to suitability or quality. If mandatory requirements are set, caution should be taken that they are reasonable and appropriate.
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Ensuring the water and sewerage non-household retail market works well for customersPublication date:December 2015
CAS supports the Commission’s view that the time is right to undertake a review of the regulatory framework of the non-domestic water and sewerage market in Scotland.
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CAS Consultation ResponsePublication date:December 2015
CAS is concerned that the increase in the number of complaints about public sector services received by SPSO, coupled with limited resources available to SPSO to respond to these complaints could detrimentally impact consumers receiving adequate and timely access to redress.
CAS would support a move by the Scottish Government to review the issues SPSO has raised within its Draft Strategic Workplan to identify ways of protecting the quality of administrative justice available to the general public and allowing SPSO to continue to drive complaints handling best practice and ownership of improving services within public bodies.
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Research into the extent of community involvement in flood prevention schemesPublication date:December 2015
Invitation to Tender
Citizens Advice Scotland invites you to tender for research into Flooding and Capital Investment: the extent of community involvement in flood prevention schemes.
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Publication date:December 2015This report outlines recommendations for improvements that could be made to the current system of Funeral Payments, which will be devolved to the Scottish Parliament.
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Publication date:December 2015Powers over certain elements of Universal Credit will be devolved to Scotland. This report sets the findings of a survey of CAB clients on how they currently budget and would prefer to receive payments, and makes recommendations for how the new devolved powers could be used.
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Publication date:December 2015The Scotland Bill intends to give the Scottish Parliament legislative competence over provision of financial assistance for the type of payments currently provided by the Regulated Social Fund. This will include provision to make provision for the Cold Weather Payment (CWP) and Winter Fuel Payment (WFP), including conditions of entitlement or to replace these benefits entirely. This report sets out CAB evidence and recommendations for how the new powers should be used.
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Publication date:December 2015To inform the development of a distinct Scottish approach to disability and carers’ benefits, Citizens Advice Scotland gathered views from bureau advisers and clients across Scotland on how they would want the new powers to be used when they are devolved to the Scottish Parliament. This report outlines CAS's research findings and a number of recommendations for how the Scottish Government should use its new powers.
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Publication date:December 2015The process of devolving social security powers to Scotland includes control over employment programmes and Discretionary Housing Payments. This report sets out a summary of CAB evidence in these areas, and makes recommendations for how the Scottish Government should use the powers when they are devolved.
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Publication date:December 2015Advice in Scotland 2014/15 is Citizens Advice Scotland’s state of the nation report on the problems that people are experiencing across the country.
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Non-domestic rates: setting decapitalisation rates for the 2017 revaluationPublication date:December 2015
CAS agrees in principle that the Scottish Government should prescribe decapitalisation rates for the valuation of properties where the contractor’s basis is used. However, we also consider that the proposals within the Consultation could provide a level of protection for property owners against any escalating or fluctuating charging which could result from the introduction of an alternative method of valuation.
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Publication date:November 2015
From April 2016, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman will take over responsibility for further review of decisions by local authorities in relation to the Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF). The SPSO has recently been consulting on a Draft Statement of Practice setting out the approach it intends to take in relation to reviews.
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Publication date:November 2015
Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) is seeking tenders from potential research suppliers to undertake a review of energy efficiency and fuel poverty programmes in Scotland.
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Second ReadingPublication date:November 2015
Citizens Advice Scotland is extremely concerned that a number of the proposals contained in the Welfare Reform and Work Bill would have a detrimental impact on CAB clients in Scotland who have already been negatively affected by changes to the social security system in the last Parliament. These negative consequences include a rise in rent arrears; pressure on homeless services; and an increase in the number of people who are unable to make ends meet, who accrue priority debt or who require a referral to a food bank.
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Report Stage and Third ReadingPublication date:November 2015This briefing focusses on amendments tabled to the Scotland Bill addressing areas where the
Bill does not appear to meet the intent of the Smith Agreement. Citizens Advice
Scotland is concerned that, as currently drafted, there are risks of detriment
to CAB clients, who sought advice on 220,000 new
benefits issues in 2014/15 and who have been subject to recent changes to reserved tribunals which have
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Publication date:November 2015This report highlights the positive impact that the advice service is making on members of the Armed Forces community in Scotland while also identifying areas of difficulty, including income, employment and housing.
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Report Stage and Third ReadingPublication date:October 2015
CAS is extremely concerned that the proposals in the Bill would have a detrimental impact on CAB clients who have already been negatively affected by changes to the social security system in the last Parliament. These negative consequences include a rise in rent arrears; pressure on homeless services; and an increase in the number of people who are unable to make ends meet, who accrue priority debt or who require a referral to a food bank.
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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.