Public

Key Points

• CAS is pleased to respond to this call for evidence on health assessments. We have long been calling for fairer processes which put people’s rights at the heart of it, and we want to see a fairer system of dignified, accessible, timely, and fair medical assessments that provide disabled people with the support they are entitled to.
• Although there will be no new claims for PIP due to the full implementation of Adult Disability Payment across Scotland from 29 August, we have responded to the questions relating to the future of PIP as we have a wealth of data and experience on the administration of PIP.
• CAS has restricted its responses to those where we have robust data to inform our responses.

Recommendations

• A range of assessment types should be available, face-to-face, telephone and in person, and the client should be able to choose their preferred method. Outcomes for each method should be monitored to ensure parity.
• Descriptors for both PIP and ESA should be reviewed to better reflect social and human rights models of disability and move beyond assessing a lack of functionality.
• The use of lived experience panels and user groups involved in the design and development of any changes made to the claims and assessment processes.
• Consideration should be given to the Social Security Scotland approach to assessment, in particular:
• The use of specialist assessors;
• Bringing the assessment 'in-house';
• Gathering evidence on behalf of the client; and
• Making a medical assessment the last resort.

The cost of living crisis is squeezing household finances across the country. Across the Citizens Advice network in Scotland, we’ve seen an uptick in advice need for energy bills, debt, and food bank referrals. Since September 2021:

• Advice need for food banks has grown by almost a third (31%)
• For other charitable support, including fuel bank referrals, advice need has increased by 23%
• Advice on Budgeting Advances has increased by 25% over 2021–22
• Advice on sanctions has grown by 53% since the start of 2021-22

While one-off payments will have provided some relief to people in the short-term, the further planned energy price cap increase in October and higher energy needs in winter mean that the cost of living crisis is unlikely to end in the next few months. Long-term thinking is needed to ensure our social security system is accessible to everyone and offers the right level of support for today’s skyrocketing prices.

CAS recommends:

• An immediate uprating of Universal Credit’s basic allowance to present inflation rates and the implementation of a more responsive system to keep track with inflation.
• Further emergency targeted support for those on the lowest incomes.
• A continuous review of the adequacy of social security payments to ensure they meet everyone’s needs.
• Scrapping the benefit cap and the two-child limit.
• Ensuring any uprating of Universal Credit is extended to all legacy benefits.
• Reduce all deductions for DWP and HMRC debt to the 5% minimum until the DWP’s debt recovery process can be replaced with a revised system based on a robust holistic affordability check that better reflects people’s ability to pay, such as the Common Financial Statement.
• Writing-off historic Tax Credit debt and other historic benefit overpayment debt.
• Abolishing the five week wait by introducing a non-repayable assessment period grant at the beginning of all UC claims.
• Suspending the use of sanctions until the cost of living crisis is over.
• Automating where possible the process for claiming the State Retirement Pension and Pension Credit.
• Developing and publishing an uptake strategy for the DWP to increase claims for pension-age support.

Employment advice accounted for 4% of all advice given by the Citizens Advice network in Scotland in 2021-22. Yet while our advisers are able to offer people information about their rights at work, many struggle to enforce these rights in practice.

CAS is calling for:

• A three-pronged approach to ensuring fair work in low-paid sectors, covering:
• A preventative strand focused on awareness-raising for individuals and employers, working with schools and job centres to ensure those entering the workforce are fully informed of their rights and entitlements, and with enterprise bodies to ensure new employers understand their responsibilities.
• An easy process, anonymised if necessary, where employees, employers, and witnesses can report concerns that result in swift investigative action.
• A strong approach to enforcement when non-compliance is found, with responses guided by the severity and impact of the non-compliance.
• Adequate funding for employment support and wider advice services. › A holistic view towards supporting fair work, in particular by providing a strong social security system and other policies to tackle the rising cost of living, in order to give people the security to challenge poor working practices without facing poverty.
• A prioritisation of the Employment Bill and the introduction of a single enforcement body, adequately funded in order to effectively protect worker’s rights.

This research report looks at the private rented sector in Argyll and Bute and was made possible through the award of Small Impact Grant from Citizens Advice Scotland and delivered in-house by bureau staff. 

Scoping this work, the bureau had two overarching objectives:

-   to raise awareness of freely available advice and support to tenants, as all too often tenants are unaware of their rights or approach the bureau only at the stage when they are potentially facing eviction;

and,

-   to gain a better understanding of the challenges facing private rental tenants in the area which also has a thriving and important tourism sector.

Through a mix of print, radio and digital promotion, an estimated 20,000 people were reached, helping to raise awareness of the bureau and the advice and support available on a wide range of everyday issues facing local people including advice on housing, debt, employment and welfare.

Central to this research was a private sector rental survey which was designed to capture the views of those currently renting in that sector, as well as those looking for a private rental in the area.  Completing the survey in full, 155 people shared their views and experiences.  Focus groups followed and provided further opportunity to gain deeper insight into private rental experience. 

Delivering this report comes at a time of significant and potential change in the private and short term rentals sectors in Scotland.  The report seeks to provide useful insight into the private rental sector in Argyll and Bute, the challenges private sector renters face, and how closely aligned economic prosperity and the availability of safe, secure, warm and affordable homes are to the area.