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Citizens Advice Scotland have responded to Ofcom's discussion paper on the regulators future approach to mobile markets.Publication date:April 2022
The day-to-day activities of citizens are becoming increasingly dependent on their ability to use telecommunications services, such as mobile phones, broadband or landlines. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the essential nature of online connectivity and access to internet data, with many people relying on internet access for working from home, staying informed, or interacting with welfare services, and friends and family.
For clients of the Scottish Citizens Advice network, their mobile phones have become increasingly important in accessing vital online services; with one in five of our clients accessing the internet only through their smart phones. Having a reliable, consistent and affordable mobile connection is essential for clients to access services such as Universal Credit journals and online banking.
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CAS Briefing paper on Postal Services in ScotlandPublication date:April 2022
Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) has served as Scotland’s designated consumer advocacy body for postal services for the past 8 years. From 1 April 2022, this function will be transferred to Consumer Scotland. During our time as the consumer advocate, we have made sure that the voice of Scottish postal consumers has been heard by regulators and service providers alike. Our work has been focused on making postal services accessible and affordable for all consumers, no matter where they live, or what their income level or personal characteristics may be.
This briefing highlights the key issues facing postal market consumers in Scotland today.
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Publication date:April 2022
This briefing presents the impact of the Scottish Citizens Advice network over the last few years, and its value to the communities it serves.
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Publication date:April 2022
Citizens Advice Scotland has responded to the Scottish Government's consultation on the Resource Spending Review. You can download our response below.
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An analysis of homelessness advice cases provided by Scotland’s CAB networkPublication date:March 2022
This report is published jointly by CAS and the homelessness charity Crisis.
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CAS briefing on polling conducted with SMEs on postal servicesPublication date:March 2022
This briefing summarises the key findings of research conducted by YouGov in November 2021. The polling reflects the experiences of 500 senior decision makers in small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in Scotland.
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Publication date:March 2022
CAS has responded to Ofcom's consultation on the regulatory framework for postal services for the next 5 years.
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Publication date:March 2022
CAS has responded to a Scottish Government consultation on proposed increases to court fees in Scotland.
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Publication date:March 2022
The competitive water market in Scotland was launched in April 2008. This report explores small to medium business customers’ experiences of the market. It brings together policy insights and market developments with evidence from recently commissioned research. Recommendations are provided which, when actioned by the market, will deliver offerings that have been informed by service users to improve consumer outcomes.
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Publication date:February 2022
CAS is enthusiastic about the potential for the devolution of winter heating benefits to drive a meaningful improvement in the rates and lived experience of fuel poverty in Scotland. Done well, devolution of Cold Weather Payments (CWPs) and the Winter Fuel Payment (WFP), taken alongside the assistance provided by the Warm Home Discount (WHD) scheme, the Scottish Government’s fuel poverty and energy efficiency programmes, and additional support for vulnerable households such as the Child Winter Heating Assistance, could create a coherent package of measures which work together more effectively to reduce inequality and improve the health and wellbeing of citizens most vulnerable to the effects of living in a cold home.
We agree that reforms to the existing CWP scheme could deliver greater consumer benefits than the scheme that currently exists. However, we do not agree that the Scottish Government’s proposals for Low Income Winter Heating Assistance (LIWHA) achieve this. Indeed, we are concerned that for many consumers, LIWHA will often make fuel poverty, and in particular extreme fuel poverty, worse. Evidence also strongly suggests that in a cold winter, LIWHA is likely to prove prejudicial to the health of many vulnerable low income households. We are extremely concerned about the negative consumer outcomes this will deliver, including the impact on winter mortality. CAS cannot support a policy that holds significant potential to increase inequality and endanger the health and wellbeing of consumers in Scotland, and as a result we cannot support the Scottish Government’s proposals for LIWHA in their current form. We are however mindful of the tight deadlines to which the Scottish Government is working to deliver the devolution of CWPs before the end of 2022. We therefore propose a practical series of evidence-led actions that we believe would safely deliver a Minimum Viable Product to the required timeframes which significantly improves on the current CWP scheme and to which future improvements can be made as time and resources allow
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Publication date:February 2022
Citizens Advice Scotland has responded to the consultation run by the Scottish Parliament's COVID-19 Recovery Committee
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Publication date:February 2022
This is the Annual Report for Citizens Advice Scotland for the 2020-21 financial year.
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Publication date:January 2022
A new CAS report looks at how UC supported five groups who seek advice from CAB every day: people who are newly out of work; people who are looking for work; people who are in work; people who are unable to work due to caring responsibilities or a disability; and finally people with children.
Our research found real gaps in the support UC offered to these people. But our report also suggests fixes. Five policy changes would strengthen UC significantly, ensuring our social security system remains accessible and effective for everyone.
With the cost of living continuing to rise, we need to ask if UC is a strong enough safety net. Investing in social security is the right thing to do for our economic recovery.
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Publication date:January 2022
CAS has responded to the Scottish Legal Aid Board's consultation on civil legal aid financial eligibility assessment
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Publication date:January 2022
This report examines the value of 'blue-green infrastructure' and how the use of nature-based drainage solutions can mitigate flooding risks as well as benefit communities. In doing so the report addresses the need for community engagement, effective communication and where blue-green solutions fit into Scotland's infrastructure vision.
The research comprises of three key elements:
- Developing an understanding of how local authorities and housing associations meet the challenges of developing blue-green infrastructure, as part of creating positive living environments.
- Establishing how people understand the terms and concepts used in relation to the field and the water sector more broadly.
- Collaborative discussion of the main issues identified with other stakeholders in the sector.
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Publication date:January 2022
Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) is supportive of the proposed approach to ending poverty and the need for food banks. The twin emphasis on prevention and response ensures the reasons for food bank use are tackled at source, rather than focusing only on how emergency support is delivered, and overall CAS would agree that moving towards a cash-first approach to food aid is a positive step. Measures which enable people to choose their own food can restore dignity in emergency food provision, enable people to buy food they enjoy and choose the items that will make the most difference to themselves and their families.
However, there are additional dimensions to the need for food banks that CAS would call for further consideration of. These include:
› The role of advice services in food bank referrals
› Availability of social security support for different types of people
› Debt as a driving factor in food bank use
› Fuel poverty as a driving factor in food bank use
› Housing costs as a driving factor for food bank use
› Potential barriers to a cash-first scheme
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Publication date:January 2022
This report, the last in a three-part series on UC during the pandemic, sets out what lessons can be learned from the past 18 months to future-proof UC. Updating and contextualising our survey with data drawn from the Citizens Advice network across Scotland, this report outlines the fixes that are needed for UC to properly support five groups of people who seek advice from CAB every day:
> People who are newly out of work
> People who are looking for work
> People who are in work
> People who are unable to work due to caring responsibilities or a disability
> People with childrenCitizens Advice Scotland is calling for:
> Safe access to UC by introducing a non-repayable assessment period grant at the beginning of all UC claims and replacing the DWP’s debt recovery process with a revised system that better reflects people’s ability to pay
> A permanent increase to the basic allowance of UC
> A review of UC as an in-work benefit, including reintroduction of Work Allowances for everyone, to make sure UC properly supports those in employment
> Protecting and uprating support for people with disabilities and caring responsibilities
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Publication date:December 2021
Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) welcomes the Scottish Government’s support for improving working practices across Scotland. Progress on equal employment access and pay for women, minority ethnic, and disabled workers is welcome, as is the commitment to introduce a requirement on public sector grants recipients to pay at least the real Living Wage to all employees by summer 2022. These actions will improve working conditions for many.
However, the majority of people CAB see every day do not work in the sectors supported by the most ambitious Fair Work plans. They will instead be in low-paid and insecure work, often facing violations of very basic employment rights. For these people, the first step to a Fair Work Nation must be better enforcement of their already-existing rights.
Advice services like CAB play an important role in informing people about their employment rights, giving them a more effective voice in challenging unfair work practices. This is particularly necessary for low-paid jobs where union membership is likely to be less concentrated.
In 2020-21, Scotland’s Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) network gave 74,994 pieces of employment advice to clients – 8% of all advice provided across the network last year – making employment the third most popular advice area, behind social security and debt advice.
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Publication date:December 2021
Citizens Advice Scotland has responded to the Scottish Government's Legal Services Regulation Reform in Scotland consultation
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Stressed About Debt? High costs of energy, food and fuel mean that many people are finding it impossible to keep up, worrying about debt or falling behind on bills. The Citizens Advice network in Scotland is here for you, with free, confidential and impartial advice in a variety of ways.