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Publications

  1. A report to the Consumer Futures Unit of Citizens Advice Scotland
    Fraser of Allander Institute
    Publication date:
    April 2017

    This report examines recent changes in the cost of household water and sewerage charges in Scotland. It examines the position across all consumers, but focuses in particular on those on low incomes and examines in detail the issue of affordability for those in receipt of state benefits.

    Spotlight:
  2. Publication date:
    April 2017

    The Citizens Advice Service in Scotland isn’t just the country's leading independent advice service. It is also a leading advocate for social change. This document outlines the issues that Citizens Advice Scotland will focus on and the changes that we aim to influence in the next year and beyond.  

  3. Peter Beckett
    Publication date:
    March 2017

    As part of the Scottish Government funding to help bureaux mitigate the impact of Social Security changes, CAS commissioned an external researcher to carry out qualitative research to increase our understanding of:

    • The main drivers of effective partnerships between bureaux and other organisations in reaching out to individuals
    • The benefits to the organisations involved
    • The added-value for clients supported.

    The study also set out to capture the impact on individuals and the bureaux as a result of the changes to social security benefits and the roll out of Universal Credit. 

  4. Citizens Advice Scotland
    Publication date:
    March 2017

    This is the Annual Report for Citizens Advice Scotland for the 2015-16 financial year. It was approved at the Citizens Advice Scotland AGM on 28 March 2017.

  5. Scottish Parliament Social Security Committee call for evidence
    Rob Gowans
    Publication date:
    March 2017

    Citizens Advice Scotland welcomes the opportunity to submit evidence to inform the Committee’s consideration of the Bill. Scotland’s CAB Service sees the effects of child poverty on a daily basis, and the majority of advice provided by citizens advice bureaux in Scotland relates to issues related to maximising low incomes, particularly access to social security benefits and dealing with problem debt.

  6. Publication date:
    March 2017
  7. CAS response to Work and Pensions Committee inquiry
    Rob Gowans
    Publication date:
    March 2017

    Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) welcomes the opportunity to provide evidence to the Committee’s inquiry. In 2015/16, citizens advice bureaux in Scotland advised clients on 227,561 new issues related to social security benefits. Of those, 98,699 (43%) related to the six legacy benefits that are due to be replaced by Universal Credit. It is likely that Universal Credit will eventually become the largest single issue that Scotland’s CAB Network provides advice on, and in areas where Full Service Universal Credit has already been rolled out, it is quickly beginning to take up a significant proportion of CAB advisers’ time.

     

  8. Publication date:
    March 2017

    The Consumer Futures Unit is publishing a series of briefing sheets that draw together evidence and recommendations on issues relevant to energy, post and water consumers in Scotland. This briefing gives an overview of consumer issues in relation to fuel poverty in Scotland. 

  9. Publication date:
    March 2017

    The Consumer Futures Unit is publishing a series of briefing sheets that draw together evidence and recommendations on issues relevant to energy, post and water consumers in Scotland.  This briefing gives an overview of recent energy price rises by major suppliers in Great Britain. 

  10. Response to Scottish Government consultation
    Rob Gowans
    Publication date:
    March 2017

    Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) warmly welcomes the opportunity to respond to this consultation. These draft regulations represent the first piece of legislation as part of the social security powers devolved to the Scottish Government under the Scotland Act 2016. The use of the Universal Credit flexibilities has been of considerable interest to CAS, alongside the wider rollout of Universal Credit, which is already a significant impact on many CAB clients.

  11. UK Government consultation
    Rhiannon Sims and Rob Gowans
    Publication date:
    February 2017

    CAS welcomes the Government’s ambition to reduce the disability employment gap, which is important in ensuring equality, fairness in the workplace and helping people with disabilities and health conditions maximise their incomes. However, it should be recognised that there are people who will not be able to undertake paid work because of their condition or impairment, in a number of cases for the remainder of their life.

  12. Consumer Futures Unit
    Publication date:
    February 2017

    The Consumer Futures Unit (CFU) has responded to the Scottish Parliament’s joint call for evidence as part of its scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s third draft Climate Change Plan.

    The CFU is pleased to have had the opportunity to comment on Scottish Ministers’ plans for meeting Scotland’s annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets. In responding to the Scottish Parliament’s joint call for evidence we have limited our comments to areas of the draft plan that are directly relevant to our remit.

    In this publication we present our written evidence to the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee. Our evidence to the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Committee and the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee is available separately and can be downloaded below. 

  13. Consumer Futures Unit
    Publication date:
    February 2017

    The Consumer Futures Unit (CFU) has responded to the Scottish Parliament’s joint call for evidence as part of its scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s third draft Climate Change Plan.

    The CFU is pleased to have had the opportunity to comment on Scottish Ministers’ plans for meeting Scotland’s annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets. In responding to the Scottish Parliament’s joint call for evidence we have limited our comments to areas of the draft plan that are directly relevant to our remit.

    In this publication we present our written evidence to the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Committee. Our evidence to the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee and the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee is available separately and can be downloaded below. 

  14. Consumer Futures Unit
    Publication date:
    February 2017

    The Consumer Futures Unit (CFU) has responded to the Scottish Parliament’s joint call for evidence as part of its scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s third draft Climate Change Plan.

    The CFU is pleased to have had the opportunity to comment on Scottish Ministers’ plans for meeting Scotland’s annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets. In responding to the Scottish Parliament’s joint call for evidence we have limited our comments to areas of the draft plan that are directly relevant to our remit.

    In this publication we present our written evidence to the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee. Our evidence to the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee and the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Committee is available separately and can be downloaded below. 

  15. Publication date:
    February 2017

    The Consumer Futures Unit is publishing a series of briefing sheets that draw together evidence and recommendations on issues relevant to energy, post and water consumers in Scotland. This briefing gives an overview of consumer issues in relation to postal services in rural areas, and was first used at the CFU's Rural Futures Conference in 2017. 

  16. Publication date:
    February 2017

    The Consumer Futures Unit is publishing a series of briefing sheets that draw together evidence and recommendations on issues relevant to energy, post and water consumers in Scotland. This briefing gives an overview of consumer issues in relation to rural fuel poverty, and was first used at the CFU's Rural Futures Conference in 2017. 

  17. A summary of evidence gathered by Citizens Advice Bureau about their work
    CAS Research Team
    Publication date:
    February 2017

    During 2015/16 Citizens Advice Bureaux supported over 260,000 clients across Scotland with over 910,000 advice needs, none of which could have been achieved without the almost 2,400 volunteers and 1,000 paid staff.  If standard opening hours are used as a benchmark, that would imply that one advice query is dealt with every 19 seconds!  

    The 'Advice in Scotland 2015-16' report provides all the detail, while the briefing paper covers the highlights.

  18. Edition 4: Client Advice Profile 2015
    CAS Research Team
    Publication date:
    February 2017

    Each November, an annual drive to collect profile information on all clients approaching Bureaux for advice - this report covers some of the findings from the 2015 exercise.

  19. Scottish Affairs Committee
    Rob Gowans
    Publication date:
    February 2017

    Scotland’s CAB network provides a substantial amount of advice relating to problems at work. In 2015/16, citizens advice bureaux in Scotland advised clients on 48,530 new employment issues. 

    Examples of unfair employment practices that have affected CAB clients include unfair dismissal; not being paid for work carried out; being paid considerably below the National Minimum Wage; being denied sick pay or paid holiday; and instances of bullying and discrimination including racism, and women who were dismissed when they became pregnant.

    Spotlight:
  20. Scottish consumer advice about food and drink issues
    Fraser Sutherland
    Publication date:
    December 2016

    Scotland’s food and drink industry is one of the best in the world but some consumers in Scotland are getting a raw deal and facing poor quality produce and service by some leading food retailers and manufacturers.

    Spotlight:

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