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Publication date:June 2018Scotland’s independent consumer advocate has pledged to put consumers first in the regulated industries of energy, water and post. The Consumer Futures Unit of Citizens Advice Scotland has outlined its priorities in its work plan for 2018-19.
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Publication date:June 2018In general, CAS welcomes the introduction of this benefit, and the expansion from the current Sure Start Maternity Grant to include payments at the time of children starting nursery and school where parents will incur additional costs. We also welcome increases to the value of the payment compared with the current system.
In 2016/17, Scotland’s CAB network advised clients on 1,009 new issues related to the Sure Start Maternity Grant.
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Scottish Parliament Social Security Committee inquiryPublication date:June 2018
In general, passported benefits play an important role in helping people to maximise their income and by providing help to meet specific essential costs that they would otherwise be unable to pay for. The myriad of passported benefits available includes help with the costs of the school day, health costs, legal costs, costs associated with raising babies and young children and the costs of essential utilities amongst others. They also provide vital support for disabled people, in the form of access to the Motability scheme, Blue Badges and concessionary bus travel.
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Publication date:June 2018
An important aspect of access to justice for consumers is to be able to access redress when something goes wrong, and that this redress should be easy to access, free and independent.
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A snapshot of citizens advice bureaux clientsPublication date:June 2018Our 6th edition in the 'Who Are You?' series describes those coming to citizens advice bureaux in Scotland for advice during November 2017.
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Publication date:May 2018
CAS' response to the Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) provisional recommendations from their investigation into heat networks.
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Publication date:May 2018
This report raises issues around the extent of consumers who would be unable to afford household goods, as well as a lack of awareness of consumers of different affordable options that are available to them. This research therefore expanded to look at the wider issues of the affordability of household goods and the different options in accessing them, as well as focusing on the rent-to-own sector.
This research also explore the consumers experience of the rent-to-own sector as CAB research and evidence had suggested that this was a growing area of consumer concern. The research found positive and negative aspects of the sector and makes recommendations for future change.
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Period 1 October 2017 - 31 March 2018Publication date:May 2018Over the last six months we supported 1319 clients with 5,969 new and repeat issues, achieving a client financial gain of over £1M.
From the start of the service on 1 July 2010 to 31 March 2018, ASAP has supported approximately 12,500 individual clients with more than 62,500 new and repeat issues.
The full report can be downloaded below.
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What consumers in rural and remote areas want from Post Office Outreach servicesPublication date:May 2018The Consumer Futures Unit at Citizens Advice Scotland carried out innovative deliberative research into what aspects of the Post Office Ltd Outreach network were most important to consumers in remote and rural areas, and why.
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Publication date:May 2018
CAS' response to Ofgem's RIIO 2 Framework Consultation
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Publication date:April 2018Citizens Advice Scotland welcomes the publication of the Bill and agrees with its general principles. The devolution of social security powers is an extremely significant development in the history of the Scottish Parliament and represents a unique opportunity to create a new system that has the potential to make a positive difference for tens of thousands of Scotland’s citizens.
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CAS response to Scottish Government consultationPublication date:April 2018Citizens Advice Scotland welcomes the opportunity to comment on the draft rules for the new Scottish Social Security Tribunals. We support a Tribunal continuing to be the forum for final dispute resolution within the Scottish social security system, and compared with some other aspects of the current system, the Tribunal system is relatively well-regarded by CAB clients and advisers.
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Publication date:March 2018The Consumer Futures Unit has provided feedback on the proposed Revision of the European Commission's Drinking Water Directive (Recast 2017).
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Findings from the Citizens Advice Scotland bus users surveyPublication date:March 2018CAS has explored the experience of bus passengers over the past few years. In 2016, we undertook our first first bus users' survey which looked at transport issues in rural areas, and led to our Round the Bend report.
Following this, we wanted to explore what bus passengers want which led us to undertake a public survey, asking consumers what aspects of their bus services they are satisfied with and what they are unsatisfied with. CAS also asked what issues were most important to consumers in relation to buses. This report analyses this 'Your Bus, Your Say' survey which was completed in 2017.
Responses
> 4,677 survey responses in total
> Received the highest number of responses from Glasgow City
> Over a quarter of respondents travelled by bus at least 5 times or more per weekSatisfaction
> 68% of respondents were generally satisfied with the cleanliness/condition of their local bus
> 76% of respondents were generally satisfied with feeling safe on their local bus service
> 71% of respondents were generally satisfied with driver behaviour on their local bus serviceDissatisfaction
> 64% of respondents were generally dissatisfied with the service frequency of their local bus
> 72% of respondents were generally dissatisfied with providing feedback to their local bus service
> 67% of respondents were generally dissatisfied with getting help from their local bus serviceTop three most important issues to bus users
> Service frequency - 72%
> Punctuality - 59%
> Value for money -39%
Travel> 16% of respondents could not reach their GP surgery or hospital by bus
> 13% of respondents could not reach their workplace by bus
> Only 5% of respondents never travel by bus
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Briefing for the Scottish Parliament Social Security CommitteePublication date:February 2018Citizens Advice Scotland supports a number of amendments, including to make sure all new benefit payments are uprated annually with the cost of living; and to make sure no-one is criminalised for genuine error.
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Publication date:February 2018The Consumer Futures Unit has responded to the European Commission’s consultation on how risks arising from pharmaceuticals in the environment should be addressed.
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Briefing for the Scottish Parliament Social Security CommitteePublication date:February 2018Citizens Advice Scotland supports a number of amendments, including those streamlining the re-determination and appeals process to make it easier for individuals to challenge a decision; to make sure all new benefit payments are uprated annually with the cost of living; to make sure no-one is criminalised for genuine error; and to make sure no one has to make a large repayment for an error caused by no fault of their own.
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Publication date:February 2018It is an appropriate time for the Scottish Government to be considering and consulting on Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies and the regulation of district heating. Both Scottish and UK Governments expect growth in the number of district heating schemes and for the technology to play a significant part in the decarbonisation process.
Overall, there is a growing body of evidence of consumer detriment when district heating protections are not consistent, and strengthening protections now should forestall wider negative experiences as the sector grows.
Recent CFU research highlighted the pressing need for, and possibility of, consumer protection in a Scottish context, which is set out in the response below.
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Publication date:February 2018The Consumer Futures Unit launches a new water report today. Deliberative research was used to get a deeper understanding of consumers’ views on two important aspects of water policy: service standards across urban and rural areas, and how consumers relate to water and the environment.
Findings from the research supported stronger engagement between Scotland’s water industry and those that use its services, and that involving consumers in the design and delivery of water and sewerage services is more likely to result in mutual benefits for both the industry and those that use its services.
The report found that consumers are strong supporters of water and environmental protection and conservation, however they need more help to understand how their behaviour in terms of appropriate disposal of household waste can and will protect both Scottish Water’s assets, and the environment. Moving consumers from being largely disengaged users of water services, to willing and informed partners, will require insight and creativity. The challenge for the water industry and government is to bring this about.
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Briefing for the Scottish Parliament Social Security CommitteePublication date:February 2018Citizens Advice Scotland supports a number of amendments, including those creating an independent expert Scottish Commission on Social Security to scrutinise regulations, and to clarify that people should always have a choice of receiving a benefit payment in cash, unless they explicitly choose to receive it 'in kind'.
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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.