Publications

A new report from the respected Fraser of Allander Institute highlights that Citizens Advice Bureaux across Scotland contributed a total benefit to the common good in Scotland of £168.7 million in the financial year 2013/14. 

CAS has submitted a response to the Scottish Government's draft Community Energy Policy Statement for public consultation.

CAS welcomes the potential benefits of community energy and recommend that the Scottish Government applies key consumer principles, which are outlined in our response, to ensure that the benefits of community energy projects are consistent and accessible.

Based on evidence from bureaux, CAS has consistently raised concerns over misuse of zero hours contracts by employers. The UK Government proposes to ban exclusivity clause in zero hours contracts as part of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill, and consulted on how avoidance of the ban could be tackled.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.