Welcome to this week’s E News on the Citizens Advice Dorset website. Just a reminder that the Advice Dorset Partnership is a network of organisations providing advice and support to residents of Dorset and Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole. It is managed by Citizens Advice and is open to any organisation which provides information, advice and support/guidance to local residents.
The Advice Dorset Partnership E news is published fortnightly on a Thursday, BUT if there is something urgent in-between we will send out a short supplementary edition.
Please can you now subscribe to the newsletter (it is still FREE but in future you will get an automatic notification when it is published) – and do encourage colleagues to subscribe too. The Subscribe option is at the bottom of this page!
If you would like to send anything out via the bulletin, and for all other enquiries about the Advice Dorset Partnership, contact Caroline Buxton at Citizens Advice Central Dorset: [email protected]
Jobs
Ridgewater Energy:
- Home Visiting Energy Adviser/Assessor: Full-time, £25k pa. To conduct home visits and provide energy advice to clients. Must be willing to undertake City & Guilds Energy Awareness and potentially Level 3 Certificate for Domestic Energy Assessment. Closing date 8 November. Read more on TotalJobs here. There is also a vacancy for an Administrator.
Information updates
BUDGET
The Govt’s information is here, and there is a good overview on the BBC website – keypoints are here and ‘how it may affect you’ is here. Of most interest to those of us working with people on low incomes affected by cost of living pressures are likely to be:
- Uprating of the National Minimum Wage
- Deductions from Universal Credit for debts capped at 15% (down form 25%)
- Benefits will rise by 1.7% next April, pensions by 4.1%.
- Single bus fare rises to £3
- Carers can earn more and still claim Carers Allowance
- Extension of the Household Support Fund
Although there will be a review of health and disability benefits, including the ongoing review of the Work Capability Assessment, no imminent changes were announced. There was no mention about the 2-child benefit cap, and I couldn’t spot any mention of uprating the Local Housing Allowance which was a key ask from many agencies including Citizens Advice.
Citizens Advice has published ‘what the budget means for you’ information – here – and other commentary on the budget can be found from CPAG, and Policy in Practice.
BENEFITS
UC migration – next tranche: Through October the DWP will continue to move the remaining customers to Universal Credit (including some customers on income-based Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and ESA with Housing Benefit). They will shortly be commencing the migration of those tax credit claimants who have appointees which have been deferred until now.
Tax Credits end in 6 months: A Govt press release – here – was published on Monday 7 October 2024 focusing on the fact there are only 6 months to go before tax credits closes. The article reminds those in receipt of tax credits that they do not need to take action until they receive a migration notice from the Department for Work and Pensions, but once received it’s important to act quickly. Money Saving Expert has also produced a guide to managed migration – here.
UC to ESA Migration: As an increasing number of Employment Support Allowance (ESA) claimants are being migrated onto Universal Credit (UC), it has been reported that many of those who are in the ESA support group are, wrongly, being asked to submit fit-notes and look for work. This group should be protected when transferring to UC by Regulation 19 Universal Credit (Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2014. This provision means that they should be automatically placed in the limited capability for work-related group from the beginning of their UC award. Neil Couling (Senior Responsible Owner for UC) has now confirmed that the DWP are aware of this issue and are looking to fix the problem. Quoted on X –we are developing a tactical fix, to catch all, as I write, with a full system fix due later. In the meantime, if you come across clients in this situation, make the DWP aware of their problems.
FAMILY
Guide for separated parents: HMCTS have updated their Guide for separated parents:children and family courts (CB7) – here– which is a useful guide on what steps a person can take to try to come to an agreement about where children will live and how they will spend time with the other parent. This would be useful for a litigant in person to understand the options available to them, following a separation.
ENERGY
Warm Home Discount Scheme for Winter 2024/25: The Warm Home Discount (WHD) helpline is open for calls from 14 October 2024 (Telephone 0800 030 9322). The WHD provides a £150 rebate onto electricity bills for eligible low-income households in Great Britain. Eligibility is determined by the citizen’s circumstances on the qualification date (11/08/24). Recipients of the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit will be eligible for a WHD if they are a named account holder with a participating electricity supplier. Recipients of other means-tested benefits, including Tax Credits, may also be eligible for a WHD if they meet the government’s criteria relating to home energy costs (determined by property characteristics). Read more here.
Warm Home Discount for those in park homes: This scheme is run by Charis. If you’re a permanent resident living in a Park Home and you pay for your electricity directly to your park site owner you can apply for a £150 payment. Funding is limited and applications will be considered on a first come first served basis. Only one application per household will be considered. Read more here.
EMPLOYMENT
Employment Rights Bill (ERB): The Department for Business and Trade has published 10 factsheets – here – addressing measures included in the Employment Rights Bill 2024-25 (ERB). As well as an overview of the ERB, there are factsheets addressing the following areas for legislative reform: The Adult Social Care Negotiating Body; bereavement, paternity and unpaid parental leave; the Fair Work Agency; fire and rehire; the School Support Staff Negotiating Body; statutory sick pay (SSP); trade unions; unfair dismissal and zero hours contracts. The factsheets make it clear that the bulk of proposed changes to employment rights legislation won’t take place until 2026.
CONSUMER
Scam warning – Which? Alert – rogue loft insulation calls: Which? has warned that scam companies claiming to be endorsed by “the British Lung Foundation charity” are pressuring homeowners over the phone to upgrade their loft insulation. The companies call themselves “UK Energy Hub” and “UK Eco Green Services”. Red more here.
Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) – e-bike safety campaign: The OPSS has launched the “Buy Safe Be Safe” campaign. Most e-bikes, e-scooters and their batteries are safe when used correctly, but lithium-ion batteries can cause serious fires, which spread rapidly and are hard to extinguish. . Risks are greater if bikes are damaged, counterfeit, used with an incompatible charger, etc. Read more here.
LOCAL NEWS
Access Wellbeing Hubs: The Hubs provide a welcoming space for members of the local community to find support on the issues that matter to them. Hubs are staffed by skilled wellbeing coordinators, supported by a team of experienced managers and administrative staff. The wellbeing coordinators are trained to provide help and advice across a wide range of areas. They have the time to listen, then can help people to access support on topics including: Mental health and emotional wellbeing, social connections and activities, grief and loss/bereavement, work, money, housing, benefits support, support for carers and family members, and volunteering. Curently there are three: Bocombe, Poole, and Weymouth.
Events
Talk Money Week 4 – 8 November: The week is an opportunity for everyone to get involved with events and activities across the UK which help people have more open conversations about their money – from pocket money to pensions – and continue these conversations year-round. This year, we’re asking stakeholders, partners, organisations and businesses all over the UK to encourage their own audiences to Do One Thing that could help improve their financial wellbeing; it doesn’t have to be huge – it could be as simple as asking them to check their pension statement, talk to a child about money or use one of the free tools or calculators on the MoneyHelper website. Read more here.
Trustees’ Week 4-8 November 2024: This is the time to celebrate the achievements of nearly one million trustees across the UK. Throughout Trustees’ Week you’ll have the chance to connect with other trustees to share your experiences or find out how to become a trustee. You’ll also be able to develop your skills through our wide range of events, training and guidance. Read more here.
Wessex Water Community Outreach Sessions: Over the upcoming months, Wessex Water will be holding community drop-in sessions to give customers the opportunity to go along and chat to them with any water-related queries. These could be questions about billing, priority services, water or sewerage services. These sessions will be held across Dorset in Blandford Forum, Bridport, Dorchester, Gillingham, Poole and Weymouth. Red more here.
Research, reports, consultations etc
Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) consultation: The government is consulting on plans to pass legislation to ensure consumers using BNPL products get clear information, avoid unaffordable borrowing, and have stronger rights when things go wrong. The BNPL consultation is here, and you have until 29 November to respond.
Employment Rights Bill – consultations: The government had promised to put open consultation at the heart of legal reforms and as such, four Making Work Pay consultation documents have now been published:
- The application of zero hours contracts measures to agency workers – here
- Creating a modern framework for industrial relations – here
- Collective redundancy and fire and rehire – here
- Consultation on the percentage replacement rate for those earning below the current rate of Statutory Sick Pay – here
Insolvency Service research findings into Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVA): This research shows concerning levels of poor practice in how clients are entered into an IVA and the information they are given. Of the 310 randomly selected IVAs, 60% showed evidence of poor practice in the early stages, including: income and expenditure not recorded accurately, other debt solutions incorrectly dismissed, and failure to make sure people understood what they were signing up to. Read the findings here. If you have a client who is unhappy with the service they’ve had from their IVA provider, they should firstly speak with their IVA provider, and the insolvency practitioner’s complaints procedure must include details of how to escalate a complaint to the regulator. The documents given to the client should also state if any information given was authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). If information was given by a third party, there should be details of how to complain to that firm. Read more here.
Carers allowance review announced: Liz Kendall, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, has announced that there will be an independent review into the issue of overpayments of Carer’s Allowance, in cases where earnings have exceeded the entitlement threshold. The review “‘will investigate how overpayments of Carer’s Allowance have occurred, what can best be done to support those who have accrued them, and how to reduce the risk of these problems occurring in future”. Read Liz Kendall’s written statement here.
Rural Housing Report: Trent & Dove and Rural Housing Solutions have published a new report, “There’s a Will—Here’s the Way,” illuminating the significant challenges and opportunities in developing affordable housing in rural areas. This research is critical as rural communities face increasing pressures from housing shortages, rising development costs, and complex planning processes. Read more here.
Funding news
The Comic Relief Community Fund: This fund offers grants of up to £5,000 for grassroots, community-led organisations in England to help support the delivery of services and activity that benefit local communities. Funding can be used for direct project costs or to support your core running expenses. Whether you need help with staff wages, materials, rent or training – this fund is flexible to meet the needs of your organisation. Funding is available to organisations with an income of less than £250,000 and who deliver against one of the below areas, which link with Comic Relief’s new funding strategy:
- Tackling immediate impacts of hardship
- Building resilience to poverty and hardship
- Working to support equity and inclusion
- Working to support climate justice
Groundwork administers the fund – here. Closing date 8 November.