Publications

Citizens Advice Scotland recommends that the Bill is amended to remove Sections 7 to 15 (Welfare benefits) and Sections 16 to 18 (Loans for mortgage interest). We are extremely concerned that the proposals would have a detrimental impact on CAB clients who have already been negatively affected by changes to the social security system in the last Parliament. These negative consequences include a rise in rent arrears; pressure on homeless services; and an increase in the number of people who are unable to make ends meet, who accrue priority debt or who require a referral to a food bank.

In November 2014 the first, annual drive to collect profile information on all clients approaching bureaux for advice was undertaken. This first publication in our ‘Who Are You?’ series provides a snapshot of individuals in Scotland supported by CAB during that period.

The latest in a series of reports into problems faced by consumers in Scotland when shopping online, this reports charts the progress of delivery charges from 2012-2015.

Poor administration of benefits can leave some of the most vulnerable people in society without any money to live on for weeks at a time. CAS has extensive case evidence which suggests that a gap in benefits has a detrimental effect on both physical and mental health, and can lead to crisis situations such as homelessness and unmanageable debt. The Scottish CAB Service has seen a dramatic rise in the number of clients in crisis having to access charitable support such as food banks. 

CAS has responded to the Scottish Parliament Welfare Reform Committee consultation on the future delivery of social security in Scotland.

This research report, part of our ‘Paying the Poverty Premium’ series, was designed to investigate Scottish CAB clients’ experiences of the “poverty premium”.

CAS responds to the Department of Buisness, Innovation and Skills consultation on the Government's steer to the Competition and Markets Authority.

In 2013, Citizens Advice Scotland conducted a survey with Scottish Citizens Advice Bureau clients who sought advice on a benefits issue, to explore their access, ability and desire to use the internet.  This report, Internet Access in Glasgow's Deprived Areas is an analysis of the responses from the original 2013 survey from CAB clients in Glasgow.

The Citizens Advice Service welcomes the opportunity to respond to the European Commission consultation on cross-border parcel delivery. A competitive cross-border delivery market has the potential to benefit consumers through greater choice. In our response we highlight that this market is still young, and as such any regulatory intervention runs the risk of disrupting the natural development of the market, which may develop the solutions to issues faced by consumers. We contend that introducing price caps at this stage would be premature and difficult to implement.