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Publications

  1. Improving the physical condition of Scotland’s water environment
    Gail Walker
    Publication date:
    June 2015

    Citizens Advice Scotland welcomes measures to ensure the sustainable use of Scotland’s water resources. We believe that effective partnership working between land owners and public bodies will offer better protection for communities at risk of flooding, and would encourage the provision of accessible and clear information on measures that protect and / or benefit households and businesses.

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  2. Kate Morrison
    Publication date:
    June 2015

    CAS respond to the Scottish Governments consultation on the Good Practice Principles for Shared Ownership of Onshore Renewable Energy Developments

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  3. Rocket Science UK Ltd & Changeworks
    Publication date:
    June 2015

    The independent research company Rocket Science UK Ltd and the environmental charity Changeworks were commissioned by Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) to carry out focus group research with owner-occupiers and private renting tenants in Scotland to explore:

    • their attitudes and awareness of energy efficiency measures;
    • the potential barriers they might face to taking action on energy efficiency measures; and
    • how they would likely respond to any future regulation of energy efficiency in the private sector. 

    This research findings report provides the results from four focus groups held in October 2014: two were held in the City of Edinburgh and two were held in Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders. In each location one focus group was with owner occupiers and one focus group was with tenants who rent their property.

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  4. Minimum Standards of Energy Efficiency in Private Sector Housing: The View from Consumers and Bureaux
    Fraser Stewart
    Publication date:
    June 2015

    Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) is a member of the Scottish Government's Regulation of Energy Efficiency in the Private Sector (REEPS) working group. This is a stakeholder advisory group drafting regulations for consultation that will help the Scottish Government improve the energy efficiency of Scotland’s existing private sector housing stock. To support this work CAS commissioned independent research that could help the working group better understand homeowners’ and private rented tenants’ attitudes and awareness of energy efficiency measures, including the potential barriers to taking action and consumers’ likely response to any future regulation. The full research report is available separately. 

    This accompanying evidence review complements the commissioned research by summarising the key findings from four focus groups, and brings these findings together with additional evidence collected by the Scottish Citizens Advice service. These further insights have helped identify the everyday realities for many Scottish households unable to adequately heat their homes or who live in poor quality housing, which can often lead to preventable health problems.

  5. Toby Bridgeman, Vicki White, Molly Asher, Zoe Redgrove
    Publication date:
    May 2015

    The Citizens Advice Service (Citizens Advice – England & Wales and Citizens Advice Scotland) commissioned the Centre for Sustainable Energy to conduct research on the energy tariff options for consumers in vulnerable situations. The project aimed to provide researchers, policy makers and energy market stakeholders with a better understanding of the range of options available to ensure that vulnerable consumers, disengaged from the energy market, are not penalised by higher tariffs.

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  6. Key advice trends in Scotland
    Keith Dryburgh
    Publication date:
    May 2015

    Snapshot uses bureau evidence to act as an early warning system of where policies and practices are failing or inefficient. These quarterly briefings use very recent evidence and will be an excellent way of spotting trends in social policy and tracing the impact of recent policy changes. The briefings will be of use to politicians, government departments, the private sector, and third sector organisations – and anyone with an interest in the most important issues facing people in Scotland. 

  7. Developing a framework for greater locally led delivery of energy efficiency and fuel poverty services
    Association for the Conservation of Energy, CAG Consultants, Centre for Sustainable Energy and Dr Joanne Wade
    Publication date:
    May 2015

    The Citizens Advice Service (Citizens Advice - England & Wales and Citizens Advice Scotland) commissioned the Association for the Conservation of Energy, CAG Consultants, Centre for Sustainable Energy and Dr Joanne Wade to investigate the case for the local delivery of home energy efficiency and fuel poverty services across Great Britain. 

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  8. Zoe Leader and Kate Morrison
    Publication date:
    May 2015

    Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland respond to the Ofgem discussion paper 'Non-traditional business models: supporting transformative change in the energy market'

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  9. Fraser Sutherland
    Publication date:
    May 2015

    CAS respond to the Scottish Governments second consultation on a new tenancy for the private rented sector.

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  10. Gael Scott and Rob Gowans
    Publication date:
    April 2015

    CAS has submitted evidence to the Welfare Reform Committee's inquiry on women and welfare reform. This submission is based on a comprehensive analysis of client profile data from people who visited citizens advice bureaux in Scotland over a one month period (November 2014). It also based on evidence and case studies from bureaux which show the impact that different welfare reforms have had so far for people in Scotland.

  11. Robert McGeachy, Gail Walker, Rob Gowans and Lauren Wood
    Publication date:
    April 2015

    The Scottish Government’s consultation focuses on changes to the public procurement rules in Scotland. These changes are as a result of new EU legislation, and are designed to further simplify the public procurement rules, and to support wider public policy aims including delivering sustainable economic growth. CAS’ response highlights the need to make sure that the changes deliver positive outcomes for the paying public, and deliver value for the service end users. Our response also emphasises that the changes to the procurement rules need to ensure that public bodies promote fair employment practice through public procurement.

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  12. Oversight of DWP activities in Scotland and Draft Clauses on welfare
    Rob Gowans
    Publication date:
    April 2015

    This submission is based on CAS’ arguably unique insight into benefits administration in Scotland. In 2013/14, Scottish Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) dealt with over 324,000 benefits and tax credits issues – 36.6% of all CAB advice. In the nine months of April to December 2014, we dealt with a total of 248,000 issues – accounting for 37.2% of all CAB advice. CAB are the leading providers of advice in this area and we provide our service in 30 out of 32 local authority areas reaching 94% of the population.

    Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) welcomed the Smith Commission and much of the Command Paper, and look forward to working with all those involved in the transfer and transition of powers to the Scottish Parliament. We have called for this to be carried out in the best interests of the people of Scotland. Our submission to the Smith Commission focused on three principles – fairness, responsiveness and equality.

  13. Consumer Devolution
    Sarah Beattie-Smith
    Publication date:
    April 2015

    Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) is the statutory consumer representative in Scotland. Our service delivers advice and advocacy for consumers on issues from energy to banking and from housing rights to payday loans as well as providing holistic advice and support for hundreds of thousands of people on issues from benefits to immigration.

    The Citizens Advice service is one which is well recognised by the Scottish public.  A survey of CAB clients and members of the public found that 98% felt they could trust the confidential service we provide, with 97% praising the service for helping people get fair treatment. A recent report produced by the Fraser of Allander institute found that the Scottish CAB service contributed a total benefit to the common good in Scotland of nearly £170 million.

    The Command Paper states that “consumer advocacy and advice” will be devolved to the Scottish Parliament as part of the further devolution of powers and details the specific statutory powers, duties and functions that will transfer to Scotland.

    Citizens Advice Scotland looks forward to working with both parliaments and governments to determine how best to deliver new powers. We are of the view that CAS is and should remain at the heart of the consumer landscape and that we have a key role to play in delivering an excellent advice and advocacy service for consumers.

    CAS reports to the Department of Business Innovation and Skills on work undertaken and funded by the UK Government or through a levy on industry. Reports on our work in relation to the regulated markets of energy and post are laid before the UK Parliament. In addition, we report to the Scottish Government on our work on behalf of water consumers in Scotland. This reporting is laid before the Scottish Parliament. We would expect to report to any future funder and/or accountable body in a similar way.

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  14. Publication date:
    April 2015

    Narrowing the digital divide in Scotland is one of the most important issues faced by policymakers.  However, there citizens across Scotland who are excluded from this valuable resource and in turn excluded from the benefits access to the internet can bring.

  15. Publication date:
    April 2015

    A study of employment issues amongst BME workers within Perth and Kinross

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  16. Challenging the costs of Funerals in Scotland
    Fraser Sutherland
    Publication date:
    April 2015

    Advice regarding funerals has risen in recent years, as our recent Real Deal publication on the subject highlighted, and the CAB service now helps with just over one issue a day in Scotland regarding funerals.

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  17. Publication date:
    April 2015

    Citizens Advice Scotland's Work Plan for Water 2015-16

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  18. The impact of Employment Tribunal fees on CAB clients in Scotland
    Lauren Wood, Emily Rose and Eleanor Kirk
    Publication date:
    March 2015

    This report presents findings from a collaborative research project between the University of Strathclyde and Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) into the views of Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) advisers within Scotland on the impact of Employment Tribunal (ET) fees.

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  19. Citizens Advice Service response to the consultation on the updated issues statement
    Rich Hall & Sarah Beattie-Simth
    Publication date:
    March 2015

    This publication provides the joint response of Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland (the 'Citizens Advice Service') to the Competition & Markets Authority's (CMA) energy market investigation consultation on their updated issues statement published on 18 February 2015.

    The submission provides detailed comments on each of the theories of harm, as well as an overview of the Citizens Advice Service's views on the CMA's interim findings and the areas where we believe analysis should be further developed.

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  20. Scottish Parliament debate - 'An End to In-Work Poverty'
    Rob Gowans
    Publication date:
    March 2015

    The most recent figures from the Scottish Government show that in-work poverty is rising. The majority of working age adults in poverty (52%) are now from working households and it is not the case that work by itself is a route out of poverty. Citizens advice bureaux in Scotland are reporting a growing number of cases where clients are in work, but are struggling to pay for essentials. Citizens Advice Scotland’s ongoing ‘Working at the Edge’ series of publications examines the growing problems caused by in-work poverty through the stories of the thousands of clients advised by citizens advice bureaux in Scotland, and makes recommendations for change.

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