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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 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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Issues brought to the service in 2013/14Publication date:October 2015The Energy Advice in Detail publication provides an annual analysis of the energy issues on which consumers in Scotland seek advice. The Citizens Advice Service in Scotland advised on a total of 21,101 energy issues in 2013/14, an increase of almost 50 per cent from the previous year. Of this figure, clients took 18,330 energy issues to their local CAB and contacted the Citizens Advice Consumer Service (CACS or “the helpline”) with a total of 2,771 energy issues.
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Issues brought to the service in 2014/15Publication date:October 2015The Energy Advice in Detail publication provides an annual analysis of the energy issues on which consumers in Scotland seek advice. The Citizens Advice Service in Scotland advised on a total of 28,000 energy issues in 2014/15, an increase of a third from the previous year. Of this figure, clients took 22,051 energy issues to their local CAB, contacted the Citizens Advice Consumer Service (CACS or “the helpline”) with a total of 4,799 energy issues and the Extra Help Unit provided specialist help and advice to 1,150 vulnerable consumers.
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Overview of the issues raised in the Advice in Detail: Energy publications from 2013/14 and 2014/15Publication date:October 2015The Citizens Advice Service in Scotland has grown to meet a rising consumer demand for energy advice. Since 2011, our energy advice provision has increased by 130%. In 2014/15 alone we provided advice and support on 28,000 energy issues experienced by consumers throughout Scotland.
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Energy advice statistics and key policy issues brought to the Citizens Advice Service in ScotlandPublication date:October 2015A look at the growing number of energy issues brought to the service and some of the key energy policy issues reported by consumers.
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Response to Ofgem proposals - October 2015Publication date:October 2015
The Citizens Advice Service (Citizens Advice & Citizens Advice Scotland) joint response to Ofgem's consultation on smart prepayment for a smarter market.
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House of Commons Public Bill CommitteePublication date:October 2015Citizens Advice Scotland recommends that the Bill is amended to remove Sections 7 to 15 (Welfare benefits) and Sections 16 to 18 (Loans for mortgage interest). We are extremely concerned that the proposals 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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Publication date:October 2015Citizens Advice Scotland has published a report providing insights into the impact that water and sewerage debt has on the lives of vulnerable consumers.
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CAB Clients Profile Report: Issue 1Publication date:October 2015In November 2014 the first, annual drive to collect profile information on all clients approaching bureaux for advice was undertaken. This first publication in our ‘Who Are You?’ series provides a snapshot of individuals in Scotland supported by CAB during that period.
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Barriers Facing Scotland's Rural ConsumersPublication date:September 2015This report looks at the advice given by the Citizens Advice Service in Scotland by geography and looks to highlight particular consumer markets where people in rural areas are more likely to face issues than those in urban Scotland.
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Progress on parcel deliveries in Scotland 2012-2015Publication date:September 2015
The latest in a series of reports into problems faced by consumers in Scotland when shopping online, this reports charts the progress of delivery charges from 2012-2015.
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CAS ResponsePublication date:September 2015
Poor administration of benefits can leave some of the most vulnerable people in society without any money to live on for weeks at a time. CAS has extensive case evidence which suggests that a gap in benefits has a detrimental effect on both physical and mental health, and can lead to crisis situations such as homelessness and unmanageable debt. The Scottish CAB Service has seen a dramatic rise in the number of clients in crisis having to access charitable support such as food banks.
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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.