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Publications

  1. David Scott
    Publication date:
    January 2021

    MP Briefing in support of 18 January Opposition motion to keep the £20 a week UC uplift.

    An unprecedented number of people have claimed UC for the first time since March, with the total number of UC recipients in Scotland doubling since January 2020 to 475,000 people. At the start of the pandemic, CAS welcomed the UK Government increasing UC payments by £20 a week – an annual increase of £1,040. CAS now recommends that the £20 increase to Universal Credit is made permanent in the Spring Budget.

  2. David Scott
    Publication date:
    January 2021

    In this submission CAS sets out two much needed policy actions that must be included in the Budget. The first is to ensure that Universal Credit (UC) is maintained at an adequate level to effectively fulfil its function as a vital safety net and public service. Making the £20 a week increase permanent is the first step to ensuring that UC can meet the needs of the increasing number of people relying on UC. The second is to allow UC to become a better tool for recovery and support more people into work when the economy can open back up, as well as those already in work and claiming UC.

  3. Publication date:
    January 2021
  4. David Scott
    Publication date:
    January 2021

    CAS recommends the £20 a week increase to UC is made permanent.

    If the uplift is removed, it will have the following impacts:

    • People across Scotland on Universal Credit will face a significant income shock and be pushed into poverty.
    • Financial hardship will be exacerbated, with wider health and economic impacts.
    • Those already struggling will be hardest hit. An additional 1 in 6 Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) clients in complex debt will be pushed into an income crisis.
  5. Tony Hutson
    Publication date:
    December 2020

    This report presents a summary and analysis of all advice sought and delivered by the Scottish Citizens Advice network between April 2019 and March 2020. 

  6. Publication date:
    December 2020

    CAS Financial Statements for year ended 31st March 2019.

  7. Citizens Advice Scotland
    Publication date:
    December 2020

    This is the Annual Report for Citizens Advice Scotland for the 2019-20 financial year.

  8. MPs will debate excess delivery charges at Westminster on 9 December 2020. CAS has campaigned on this issue for a number of years - read CAS's briefing to MPs here.
    Tracey Reilly
    Publication date:
    December 2020
    Spotlight:
  9. Debbie Horne
    Publication date:
    December 2020

    In 2018-19, the Citizens Advice network helped over 270,000 clients in Scotland with almost 750,000 advice issues. With support from the network, clients had financial gains of over £131 million and our self-help website Advice in Scotland received approximately 3.7 million views.

    The Citizens Advice network issued 311,714 pieces of advice on benefit issues, the single largest area of advice for the network in 2018-19. Since February this year the network has provided over 85,000 pieces of advice on Universal Credit alone.

  10. This document contains data on housing advice code trends and the most common housing advice codes.
    Nina Ballantyne
    Publication date:
    December 2020

    This document summarises trends in advice code data related to housing. All charts are based on advice code data. These are recorded by advisers every time advice in relation to a particular topic is issued. All figures are expressed as percentages of their “parent” advice code category: e.g. housing advice is expressed as a proportion of all advice issues, and PRS advice is expressed as a proportion of all housing advice. This allows for more effective comparisons between months when overall numbers of clients fluctuate and/or there are changes in advice provision (e.g. the shift to telephone and email at lockdown).

    Spotlight:
  11. The Citizens Advice Scotland network magazine
    Publication date:
    December 2020

    Issue of 4 of the Citizens Advice network in Scotland magazine.

     

     

    Spotlight:
  12. CAS Research Team
    Publication date:
    November 2020

    Statistical briefing on advice given; client demographics based on an annual survey of CAB clients undertake for 4 weeks in November 2019 including comparison to SIMD data.

  13. CAS Research Team
    Publication date:
    November 2020

    Briefing on paid staff and volunteers; types of services provided to compliment the generalist service; client gains; how clients contacted CAB and the work undertaken by CAB in addition to giving advice.

  14. Debbie Horne
    Publication date:
    November 2020

    At the start of the on-going pandemic, CAS welcomed the quick action taken to boost the level of payment of Universal Credit (UC).

    Since March, Scotland’s Citizens Advice Network has provided over 85,000 pieces of advice on Universal Credit. The role of UC in the social security safety-net has never been as important as in the current crisis.

  15. Debbie Horne
    Publication date:
    November 2020

    CAS produced this data briefing alongside a policy briefing calling for the £20 a week increase to Universal Credit to be made permanent.

  16. Debbie Horne
    Publication date:
    November 2020

    Citizens Advice Scotland recommends the draft regulations are amended to change or clarify a number of areas to improve the social security support provided to disabled children and young people.

  17. Michael O'Brien
    Publication date:
    November 2020

    CAS welcomes a one-year extension to the Warm Home Discount scheme to 2021/22. As a result of the time pressures for securing this extension, we recognise the limitations of the proposals outlined. To have a meaningful impact, future changes to the scheme design must be complimented by an increase to the spending envelope. CAS also welcomes a discussion around devolution and the recognition that fuel poverty targeting could potentially be done more effectively at a national level. 

    Spotlight:
  18. Publication date:
    November 2020
    Spotlight:
  19. Gail Walker
    Publication date:
    November 2020

    Citizens Advice Scotland welcomes the opportunity to respond to WICS’ Strategic Review of Charges 2021-27: Draft Determination consultation.

    Spotlight:
  20. Publication date:
    November 2020

    We work on the issues that matter to our network’s clients and our member CAB. Our focus is on delivering advocacy drawn from the experience and insights of the Scottish Citizens Advice network, which is rooted in communities across the country. 

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