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Publications

  1. Issue 9 of the Citizens Advice Scotland network magazine
    Citizens Advice Scotland
    Publication date:
    January 2023

    Welcome to the Winter 2022/23 edition of Voice Magazine. 

    We have had a little break and we are pleased to be back and bringing you this issue of Voice.

    We look at the work of the Extra Help Unit as they deal with unprecedented demand and people at risk of self-disconnection. And we look at the brand new CAS strategy and what that means for your bureau.

    Read it online or download a pdf.

    Spotlight:
  2. Publication date:
    January 2023
    Spotlight:
  3. Publication date:
    December 2022
  4. Sarah-Jayne Dunn
    Publication date:
    November 2022

    Citizens Advice Scotland is launching the Mental Health and Money Good Practice Creditor Guidance.  We've prepared this Briefing Note to support the launch.

    We are actively encouraging creditors, both public and private to adopt our Principles. These set out the minimum standards someone experiencing mental health and debt can expect from their creditor when seeking support. Our guidance provides practical examples to firms and public bodies on how to achieve these minimum standards.

    Debt is often the cause and consequence of poor mental health and wellbeing. This intrinsic link between debt and mental health is well known with it estimated that 1 in 2 people in problem debt also have a mental health issue.

    Managing these issues can prove extremely difficult and people can often find themselves in vicious cycles where money problems impact upon their mental health and poor mental health worsens their financial situation.

    Our Citizens Advice Network routinely supports people in these situations and with the rising cost of living crisis now being felt by our debt clients and beyond, we have seen countless examples of people with mental health and money issues reaching out to creditors seeking support, only to find barriers in their way such as inaccessible processes, online only options and a lack of understanding around their mental health.

    These instances highlight the vast amount of missed opportunities to disrupt that vicious cycle. We believe that creditors, both private firms and public services can do more in breaking this link.

    To do this effectively, it is crucial that creditors have the tools to support people struggling with mental health issues. Our Good Practice Guidance seeks to do just that by providing tangible steps that creditors can take to make them more accessible for those dealing with mental health and money problems.

    By adopting our Principles, creditors can break this vicious cycle and care for their customers at a time when support for people’s mental health and money is needed now more than ever.

  5. Period 1 October 2021 - 30 September 2022
    Isabella Williams
    Publication date:
    November 2022

    The full report, which includes detailed statistics, an overview of activities and case studies, can downloaded below.

    If you would like to access previous reports please contact the project team. 

  6. Jemiel Benison
    Publication date:
    November 2022

    The report is compiled from a snapshot of Scottish CAB clients with complex or multiple debt issues; 2,987 of these clients had relevant data recorded. Complex debt refers to cases where there are multiple creditors or a single liability where the issue requires intricate legal or administrative work, for example responding to court action. The data was collected between April 2021 and March 2022 with the previous annual period used as a comparator.

    Spotlight:
  7. Publication date:
    October 2022

    CAS has responded to the Scottish Government's Consultation on Improving Scotland's Social Security.  

  8. Publication date:
    October 2022

    Statistical briefing on advice given and client demographics including comparison to SIMD data.

  9. Publication date:
    October 2022

    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.

  10. Period 1 October 2020 - 30 September 2021
    Isabella Williams
    Publication date:
    October 2022

    The full report, which includes detailed statistics, an overview of activities and case studies, can downloaded below.

    If you would like to access previous reports please contact the project team. 

  11. Publication date:
    August 2022

    CAS commissioned research to examine the wraparound, holistic nature of advice the network gives, and to examine patterns and crossovers in different types of advice.

  12. Publication date:
    August 2022

    This short leaflet introduces the Armed Services Advice Project, provides information about who the service is for and what kinds of problems we can help with, and how to get in touch with us.

  13. Citizens Advice Scotland
    Publication date:
    August 2022

    This is the Annual Report for Citizens Advice Scotland for the 2021-22 financial year.

     

     

  14. David Scott
    Publication date:
    July 2022

    The last few years have been extraordinarily tough. The pandemic left 1.8 million people in Scotland financially worse off, and even before the most recent increase in the energy price cap one in three people found their bills unaffordable. Now people are faced with a perfect storm of soaring prices and flat or falling incomes, which risks sweeping tens of thousands of people across the country into poverty, problem debt, and destitution.


    Those relying on the social security system are particularly vulnerable to poverty. Just over 447,500 people across Scotland are on UC – equivalent to more than one in ten working age adults in Scotland and almost double the number before the pandemic. Getting social security right is vital to help these people weather the storm.

    Recent data from across the Citizens Advice network in Scotland shows the hardship people are facing every day:

    • Advice need for food banks has grown by almost a third (31%) since September 2021.
    • Advice need for other charitable support, including fuel bank referrals, saw a sharp increase of 23% between September 2021 and December 2021, likely reflecting the additional pressure of winter heating bills.
    • Advice on UC sanctions has grown by 53% over 2021-22.
    • Advice on UC Budgeting Advances has risen by 25% over 2021-22.
    • Advice on UC Overpayments nearly doubled from the average across 2020/21 to Q4 of 2021/22.

    Behind each of these statistics are real people. In this report we highlight four real Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) client stories which show the incredible difficulties many people on UC are facing daily. Their names have been changed to protect their anonymity, but their stories demonstrate the reality of the cost of living crisis and the need for further support.

  15. Lesley Sweetman
    Publication date:
    July 2022

    This research report looks at the private rented sector in Argyll and Bute and was made possible through the award of Small Impact Grant from Citizens Advice Scotland and delivered in-house by bureau staff. 

    Scoping this work, the bureau had two overarching objectives:

    -   to raise awareness of freely available advice and support to tenants, as all too often tenants are unaware of their rights or approach the bureau only at the stage when they are potentially facing eviction;

    and,

    -   to gain a better understanding of the challenges facing private rental tenants in the area which also has a thriving and important tourism sector.

    Through a mix of print, radio and digital promotion, an estimated 20,000 people were reached, helping to raise awareness of the bureau and the advice and support available on a wide range of everyday issues facing local people including advice on housing, debt, employment and welfare.

    Central to this research was a private sector rental survey which was designed to capture the views of those currently renting in that sector, as well as those looking for a private rental in the area.  Completing the survey in full, 155 people shared their views and experiences.  Focus groups followed and provided further opportunity to gain deeper insight into private rental experience. 

    Delivering this report comes at a time of significant and potential change in the private and short term rentals sectors in Scotland.  The report seeks to provide useful insight into the private rental sector in Argyll and Bute, the challenges private sector renters face, and how closely aligned economic prosperity and the availability of safe, secure, warm and affordable homes are to the area.  

    Spotlight:
  16. David Scott
    Publication date:
    June 2022

    The cost of living crisis is squeezing household finances across the country. Across the Citizens Advice network in Scotland, we’ve seen an uptick in advice need for energy bills, debt, and food bank referrals. Since September 2021:

    • Advice need for food banks has grown by almost a third (31%)
    • For other charitable support, including fuel bank referrals, advice need has increased by 23%
    • Advice on Budgeting Advances has increased by 25% over 2021–22
    • Advice on sanctions has grown by 53% since the start of 2021-22

    While one-off payments will have provided some relief to people in the short-term, the further planned energy price cap increase in October and higher energy needs in winter mean that the cost of living crisis is unlikely to end in the next few months. Long-term thinking is needed to ensure our social security system is accessible to everyone and offers the right level of support for today’s skyrocketing prices.

    CAS recommends:

    • An immediate uprating of Universal Credit’s basic allowance to present inflation rates and the implementation of a more responsive system to keep track with inflation.
    • Further emergency targeted support for those on the lowest incomes.
    • A continuous review of the adequacy of social security payments to ensure they meet everyone’s needs.
    • Scrapping the benefit cap and the two-child limit.
    • Ensuring any uprating of Universal Credit is extended to all legacy benefits.
    • Reduce all deductions for DWP and HMRC debt to the 5% minimum until the DWP’s debt recovery process can be replaced with a revised system based on a robust holistic affordability check that better reflects people’s ability to pay, such as the Common Financial Statement.
    • Writing-off historic Tax Credit debt and other historic benefit overpayment debt.
    • Abolishing the five week wait by introducing a non-repayable assessment period grant at the beginning of all UC claims.
    • Suspending the use of sanctions until the cost of living crisis is over.
    • Automating where possible the process for claiming the State Retirement Pension and Pension Credit.
    • Developing and publishing an uptake strategy for the DWP to increase claims for pension-age support.
  17. David Scott
    Publication date:
    June 2022

    Key Points

    • CAS is pleased to respond to this call for evidence on health assessments. We have long been calling for fairer processes which put people’s rights at the heart of it, and we want to see a fairer system of dignified, accessible, timely, and fair medical assessments that provide disabled people with the support they are entitled to.
    • Although there will be no new claims for PIP due to the full implementation of Adult Disability Payment across Scotland from 29 August, we have responded to the questions relating to the future of PIP as we have a wealth of data and experience on the administration of PIP.
    • CAS has restricted its responses to those where we have robust data to inform our responses.

    Recommendations

    • A range of assessment types should be available, face-to-face, telephone and in person, and the client should be able to choose their preferred method. Outcomes for each method should be monitored to ensure parity.
    • Descriptors for both PIP and ESA should be reviewed to better reflect social and human rights models of disability and move beyond assessing a lack of functionality.
    • The use of lived experience panels and user groups involved in the design and development of any changes made to the claims and assessment processes.
    • Consideration should be given to the Social Security Scotland approach to assessment, in particular:
      • The use of specialist assessors;
      • Bringing the assessment 'in-house';
      • Gathering evidence on behalf of the client; and
      • Making a medical assessment the last resort.
  18. Grace Remmington
    Publication date:
    May 2022

    The Warm Home Discount scheme provides important funding for the short-term relief of fuel poverty. However, a combination of research and evidence from the Citizens Advice network in Scotland has previously found that while the Warm Home Discount is seen as vital by those who receive it, it is not adequately reaching those who need it most. Whilst CAS welcomes proposals for a scheme for Scotland for 2022-26, we have raised concerns that the proposals do not go far enough to address the issues of the previous scheme years.

    Spotlight:
  19. David Scott
    Publication date:
    May 2022

    Employment advice accounted for 4% of all advice given by the Citizens Advice network in Scotland in 2021-22. Yet while our advisers are able to offer people information about their rights at work, many struggle to enforce these rights in practice.

    CAS is calling for:

    • A three-pronged approach to ensuring fair work in low-paid sectors, covering:
      • A preventative strand focused on awareness-raising for individuals and employers, working with schools and job centres to ensure those entering the workforce are fully informed of their rights and entitlements, and with enterprise bodies to ensure new employers understand their responsibilities.
      • An easy process, anonymised if necessary, where employees, employers, and witnesses can report concerns that result in swift investigative action.
      • A strong approach to enforcement when non-compliance is found, with responses guided by the severity and impact of the non-compliance.
    • Adequate funding for employment support and wider advice services. › A holistic view towards supporting fair work, in particular by providing a strong social security system and other policies to tackle the rising cost of living, in order to give people the security to challenge poor working practices without facing poverty.
    • A prioritisation of the Employment Bill and the introduction of a single enforcement body, adequately funded in order to effectively protect worker’s rights.
    Spotlight:
  20. CAS Impact Workplan 2022-23
    Publication date:
    May 2022

    Citizens Advice Scotland’s Impact work plan this year looks to deliver changes for citizens across 7 key areas, alongside a suite of ongoing work to benefit people. This work is rooted in the experiences of the people who have sought help from the Citizens Advice network in the past year, and developed through quantitative and qualitative analysis of those experiences.

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