Welcome to this week’s E News on our new 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! So far I can see that about 57 people have subscribed; if you haven’t done so already please do asap. From January you will not get the link sent by email.
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]
Advice Partnership BRIEFING
Attached are a number of very informative presentations from this week’s Briefing. If anyone wants to watch the recording of the session, please contact Caroline Buxton.
ADP Briefing 28 NOV 2023 CA slides
Ridgewater Energy_Cost of Living GWCU 2023 – CAB Dorset Council Benefits Presentation Dorset Council grants for ADP_Nov27
Dorset Energy Unit Presentation Nov 2023
Dorset Council grants for ADP_Nov27
We also had:
- a DWP Update from David Mcarthur – if you want to sign up to his email updates, contact him: [email protected] He signposted us to a ranges of useful information, including:
- Help for Households
- Understanding Universal Credit
- HelpandKindness directory of local support
- an update from AgeUK NSWD – more information on their services is here.
Jobs
No notifications.
Information updates
AUTUMN STATEMENT
Welfare reforms: Read the Govt press release here. As you will know, benefits will be uprated in line with the September CPI of 6.7%, and pensions will rise by 8.8%. Another welcome announcement was to unfreeze the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) in 2024/25. However, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has added that: ‘“The measure also freezes LHA rates from 2025/2026 onwards, thereby eroding its generosity over time as rental prices rise.” Of concern is the non-extension of the Household Support Fund, which runs out in March 2024.
The OBR also notes that there will be 370,000 fewer people awarded limited capability for work-related activity (LCWRA) status by 2028/29 as a result of the DWP’s proposed changes to the work capability assessment in 2025. Read the OBR’s fiscal and economic outlook here.
The full Autumn Statement is here.
COST OF LIVING
Energy price cap: Ofgem have announced the energy price cap for next period – 1 January to 31 March 2024. This means that from 1 January 2024 a household with a typical consumption on dual electricity and gas will pay:
- £1,928 a year if they pay by direct debit
- £2,058 if they pay by standard credit (on receipt of bill)
- £1,960 if they have a prepayment meter
Prices are worked out per unit of energy used. If consumers use more they will pay more. The exact rate and standing charge will depend on the region where the consumer lives. Prepayment customers will continue to benefit from the Energy Price Guarantee, delivered as a discount to electricity and gas standing charges. Read more on the Ofgem website.
Pension Credit: The DWP is encouraging low-income pensioners not already getting Pension Credit to check their eligibility, as they can still qualify for the £300 Cost of Living Payment if they make a successful backdated Pension Credit application by 10 December 2023. This means-tested Cost of Living Payment is for those on low-income benefits such as Pension Credit, Universal Credit and Tax Credits and is in addition to the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment. Check eligibility and apply for Pension Credit on the Govt website here, and to support the Pension Credit campaign there are resources in the online toolkit here.
Help for Households – Pensioner Cost of Living Payments and Winter Fuel Payments: Eligible pensioner households will receive the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment, worth £300. To receive this payment, pensioners must be entitled to the Winter Fuel Payment. They can get this for winter 2023 to 2024 if they were born before 25 September 1957. It is also dependent on their circumstances between 18 and 24 September 2023, the Winter Fuel Payment qualifying week. Payments will normally be made automatically alongside the Winter Fuel Payment in November or December. This will be done via usual payment methods – people do not need to contact DWP to apply for the payment. The resources here include a Pensioner Cost of Living Toolkit.
LEGAL
Help with court and tribunal fees – new Form EX160: HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has introduced a new Help with Fees scheme from 27 November for court and tribunal fees where a client has limited capital, and is on certain benefits or has a low income. For applications made or fees paid on or after 27 November, the new form EX160 and guidance should be used. For clients who paid a fee or applied, before 27 November under the old scheme, separate forms/guidance applies. The new forms and guidance are here.
EMPLOYMENT
Amendments to the Equality Act 2010: The Government has published new draft regulations (The Equality Act 2010 (Amendment) Regulations 2023), to reproduce discrimination protections that come from EU case law. The aim is to keep existing EU rights, including EU case law decisions that haven’t yet been applied by UK Appeal Courts. Without these changes to the Equality Act 2010, these EU-derived rights would have been removed from 1 January 2023. These Regulations are accompanied by an explanatory memorandum – here.
IMMIGRATION
EUSS late applications: Due to changes in the immigration rules, refusals for late EUSS applications have skyrocketed – the latest government stats, here, show a 700% increase in such refusals. This means that representations must usually be made by an immigration adviser accredited to offer level 2 advice for a new late EUSS application. The EUSS team in Citizens Advice BCP have direct access to a referral partner to assist clients, so please contact them by emailing [email protected].
Refugees and biometric residence permits (BRP) and claiming UC: In a Parliamentary written answer, the Government have confirmed that people granted refugee status can claim Universal Credit (UC) as soon as their status is confirmed, and do not need to wait until they have received a BRP before claiming. Although refugees can rely on the BRP as evidence of their identity, other documents can also be accepted. Guidance for DWP staff will be reviewed in relation to alternative evidence for those who are yet to receive a BRP, and guidance to the public will clarify that refugees do not need to wait for their BRP before making a claim. Read Mims Davies’ answer here.
Windrush Compensation Scheme review of eligibility criteria: The Home Office has amended the eligibility criteria. The requirement to hold continuous residence in the UK has been removed for British citizen children and grandchildren of Commonwealth Citizens settled in the UK before 1 January 1973. Read the guidance here.
LOCAL NEWS
New bereavement support cafes opening: Two new Bereavement Cafes are opening in Weymouth and Dorchester. NHS Dorset HealthCare ‘Dorset Open Door’ are working in partnership with Dorset Mental Health Forum and Mosaic: Supporting Bereaved Children to host these important fixtures. More information on the NHS website here.
Home-Start Wessex is extending its reach to support families in West Dorset as their sister organisation, Home-Start West Dorset has had to close its doors. Home-Start Wessex has been working closely with staff at Home-Start West Dorset to ensure the safety of families the charity supports and retain the dedicated volunteers in the area. Find out more here.
Events
Charity Fraud Awareness Week: Preventing Charity Fraud’s campaign runs from 27 November to 1 December. It highlights the need for charities to be aware of the risks of fraud and cybercrime, and to take steps to keep their money, people and data safe. Read more here.
Citizens Advice Cost Of living briefing – 14 December, 2 -3pm: Join our December Cost of Living Data briefing to understand the impact of the recent Autumn Statement on the people we help. Book via eventbrite.
Reports, research etc
DWP announce Back to Work Plan: The Govt has announced a package of employment support measures as part of the Back to Work Plan, which they describe as “a package of employment-focused support that will help people stay healthy, get off benefits and move into work”. The measures include:
- The expansion of NHS Talking Therapies; Individual Placement and Support, and Universal Support schemes.
- A new WorkWell service, delivered in partnership with the Department of Health & Social Care.
- Trialling reforms to the current fit note system, to integrate the process with specialised work and health support for those whose health affects their ability to work. There will be a formal consultation on the proposals in 2024.
- Extending and expanding the Restart programme, in order to tackle barriers to employment for those unemployed for longer than 6 months, with the possibility of mandatory work placement trials.
- Stricter sanctions for those receiving only the standard allowance of Universal Credit (UC) and who are deemed to be ‘disengaged’, including the possibility of ending passported benefits such as free prescriptions, and the use of digital tools to track attendance at job fairs and interviews.
Read more in the Govt’s Press release here.
Inquiry into the effectiveness of Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): The Work and Pensions Committee has launched an inquiry to identify improvements to the SSP system – for example, whether the current rate of SSP is sufficient and the eligibility criteria for earnings and length of sickness absence. The inquiry invites submissions until 8 December 2023. Read more on the Parliament website here.
How effective is Support for Vulnerable Universal Credit Claimants?: This DWP report, produced in autumn 2019, but only released recently following pressure from various organisations, concludes that the design of universal credit “is inadequate for vulnerable groups” who therefore need extra help from staff through adjustments and specialist support. It also says the support provided by universal credit is “inconsistently effective” with some claimants “not adequately supported”, while the system for managing individual cases is described as “suboptimal”. Read more on the Disability News Service website here.
Migrant worker exploitation: The charity Work Rights Centre (WoRC) has published a report which looks at what lies behind increasing reports of migrant worker exploitation in the UK, particularly in the health and social care sectors. Read more here.
HMCTS summary report – Assessing Access to Justice in HMCTS Services: This outlines recent reforms, in particular digitisation of online services and accessibility. The report covers probate, Social Security and Child Support (SSCS), divorce, and online civil money claims and identifies potential barriers and proposed next steps. Read more here.
Funding news
Dorset Council current grant opportunities:
The next round of the Community and Culture Project grants is now open for applications. The grant, which are managed by Dorset Council, welcomes applications for projects and events for community, arts, accredited museums, heritage, sport, youth, play and physical activity in the Dorset Council area. Groups who are planning innovative and creative projects to engage new people in high quality arts activities in 2024 are encouraged to apply for a grant. We also want to fund heritage projects that aim to include all members of the community especially those priority groups who don’t normally access cultural opportunities.
The Community & Culture Project grants can provide funding of between £1,000 and £5,000 towards activities/events that will have a social impact and support local communities and hard to reach groups. Applicants must raise at least 20% of their project costs themselves. Application is via the councils online application form and closes midnight on Monday 8 January 2024. If successful, projects will need to start by April 2024 and be completed within 12 months of an award. Read more here.
Dorset Council’s Organisational Support Revenue Fund Round 4 offers not for profit voluntary and community sector organisations the opportunity to apply for a grant of between £5,000 – £10,000 per annum for up to two years starting April 2024, towards core running costs. Applicants will need to submit a costed Business Plan up until 2027 and demonstrate how our revenue grant will enable the organisation to deliver high quality and measurable outcomes that meet our priorities in the Dorset council area. Applications close on 8 January 2024.
There is also the Capital Leverage Fund. Information on these are in the slides in the Briefing section above and are also here.
The Fore: The Fore’s states that its mission is ‘to turbo-charge exceptional small charities transforming lives and society’; it is an open-access funder offering development funding and strategic support to early-stage charities and social enterprises who have exceptional leadership, innovative idea and cost-effective solutions. The Fore offers a ‘wraparound’ package of unrestricted, multi-year grant-funding (up to £30,000) training, skilled volunteers, peer-to-peer networks and impact measurement to UK registered charities, CIOs, CICs, and social enterprises with an annual revenue of less than £500,000 in the previous completed financial year. They support organisations working in a range of sectors, such as poverty and disadvantage, health and wellbeing. The next funding round will open for registration at noon on 6 December 2023 and close at noon on 13 December 2023. Read more here.
BH Coastal Lottery Small Grants Scheme: This fund is now open to groups based in the Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council area. To apply for a grant of between £200 and £5,000, your project must benefit residents living in the BCP Council area and help contribute to developing a vibrant community. Your project should include strong volunteer or resident involvement. Priority will be given to projects where a small grant will make a significant difference. Deadline 18 February 2024. Read more here.
Neighbourhood Fund: The Neighbourhood Fund supports grassroots community groups across wider Dorset delivering local services/activities that address a broad range of social issues. Grants help local groups to improve the lives of those most in need of support. Grants of up to £5k. More information on the Dorset Community Foundation website.
South West Water – Our Water Saving Community Fund: Grants are available to charities, not-for-profit organisations and community groups for projects that will help save water in Devon, Cornwall, Isles of Scilly or Bournemouth. The funding is intended to support water conservation projects that benefit the community within the South West Water service area. Grants of under £1,000 and over £1,000 can be applied for. The maximum grant that can be awarded is £30,000. Find out more here.