Across Scotland, thousands of people visit a Citizens Advice Bureau each week.
Their cases inform the work Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) does and build a body of evidence which allows us to campaign on a range of issues, from faulty used cars to benefit sanctions. CAS carries out national campaigns across Scotland, with a particular focus on local action through the CAB network.
Our current and upcoming campaigns
Our annual Scams Awareness Month campaign is back! Throughout June we will be working alongside the bureaux network and partners such as Police Scotland, Trading Standards Scotland and Age Scotland to educate consumers on the importance of recognising, reporting and discussing scams.
This years' campaign launches on Friday 1st June and begins on Monday 4th June - Friday 29th June.
Your Bus, Your Say is a national campaign that has been developed to gather evidence to give a voice to bus users in local communities across Scotland.
Our past campaigns
Scotland is the most affected area of the UK in regards to nuisance calls. 3 of the top 5 affected cities across the UK are in Scotland: Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.
Because of the prevalence of nuisance calls in Scotland, the Scottish Government formed the Nuisance Calls Commission that included experts, regulators, businesses, consumer charities, and enforcement agencies. The conclusion of the commission was that more has to be done to help protect consumers, in particular vulnerable people.
In September 2017 we worked with Which? to inform consumers about the practical steps they can take to reduce nuisance calls.
Scams Awareness Month is an annual campaign bringing together organisations and consumers across the country to take a united stand against scams and fraud which affect millions of people each year.
The 2017 campaign launched on the 4 July 2017 and ran until 31 July. 40 CAB offices took part by campaigning on social media, holding events in their community or distributing materials. Many bureau worked in partnership with local agencies, such as Trading Standards, making scams a priority and protecting those most at risk.
Scams aren’t a minor inconvenience: they cause distress and misery, and can ruin lives. Everyone who took part were helping to give people the awareness that will help them protect themselves and those in their families and communities who are less able to spot scams. Scams Awareness Month 2017 aims to create a confident community of consumers; people who get timely advice from trusted sources, people who report scams and share their experiences so that others can benefit.
On October 1st 2015, the Consumer Rights Act became law. It aims to simplify shoppers' rights, and help businesses know exactly where they stand.
As part of National Consumer Week 2015 Citizens Advice Scotland launched a campaign, Tough Act to Follow? to notify consumers of their key rights, some of them new.
In the first months of 2015, Citizens Advice Scotland and Citizens Advice Bureaux highlighted unfair employment practices, and reminded workers of the rights they have.
These pages remain as a vital resource for employees who may not be getting a fair deal at work.
Every day, CABs across Scotland see clients who have encountered a problem at work. Among them, issues with unfair dismissal, pay, sickness entitlement, holidays, parental rights and bullying are common.
In 2014, Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) led a campaign against unfair charges for parking on private land. The It’s Not Fine campaign reminds consumers that such charges are not fines or penalty notices as on public property. It also seeks to help those hit by disproportionate or unfair charges fight back.