Publications

Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) welcomes the introduction of the Job Grant, which will provide much-needed support to young people who have been unemployed for six months or more as they start in a job.

Advice provided by Scotland’s CAB network in relation to rent arrears has grown by over 40% since 2012, whilst debt-related issues experienced by CAB clients in Scotland have steadily declined over the same period. Given this long-term change, investigating the cause and consequences of rent arrears for CAB clients has been a policy priority for CAS.

Citizens Advice Scotland has responded to Citizens Advice Scotland has responded to the FCA's CP18/42: High-Cost Credit Review: Overdrafts consultation.

A summary of evidence gathered by the Citizens Advice network in Scotland about their work.

Citizens Advice Scotland has responded to SEPA’s draft water supply and wastewater sector plan.

Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) uses research and evidence to put consumers at the heart of policy and regulation in the energy, post and water sectors in Scotland. We work with government, regulators and business to put consumers first, designing policy and practice around their needs and aspirations.

CAS is the Scottish consumer advocate on energy network issues. Although separate organisations, we work closely with Citizens Advice England and Wales in this area. Our response below focuses on Scottish specific points which we believe are important considerations for the TCR.

CAS has responded to the Accountant in Bankruptcy's building a better debt arrangement scheme consultation

CAS responded to the UK Parliament's Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee energy efficiency inquiry.

Sarah O’Neill Consulting was commissioned by Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) to carry out research into the role of the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) service within the legal advice/access to justice landscape in Scotland.

The purpose of the research was to describe and explore:
> the nature and extent of the role of the CAB service in Scotland within the legal advice/legal services landscape, in dealing with and resolving people’s civil justice problems.
> the quality assurance arrangements which are in place for the training and regulation/accreditation of CAB advisers and court/tribunal representatives.
> the benefits which the work done by the CAB service in Scotland brings in terms of both the wider public interest and for consumers, including a focus on early resolution/ prevention of escalation of problems.

The report found that the CAB service in Scotland plays a key role within the access to justice landscape, at all stages of a client’s ‘journey’. Hundreds of thousands of people who experience civil justice problems are reliant on its services to obtain access to justice. Bureaux provide vital support to clients who are often vulnerable, and who would find it difficult to access the same level of advice and support elsewhere. The entire justice system is therefore heavily dependent on the services which they offer.

In the words of one bureau manager: ‘if we didn’t exist, I think you would need to invent us’.