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The CAB service has a unique role in Scotland. No other charity offers direct help to so many people over such a wide variety of problems and across the whole of Scotland. Our on-the-ground experience and extensive evidence base puts us in an ideal position to set out a vision for how Scotland should use its new social security powers.

Advice in Scotland 2014/15 is Citizens Advice Scotland’s state of the nation report on the problems that people are experiencing across the country. 

The 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.

Powers 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.

This report outlines recommendations for improvements that could be made to the current system of Funeral Payments, which will be devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

The 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.

To 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.

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.

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.

The Citizens Advice Service (Citizens Advice & Citizens Advice Scotland) joint response to Ofgem's consultation on smart prepayment for a smarter market.