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! So far I can see that over 60 people have subscribed; if you haven’t done so already please do asap. From January 2024 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]
Jobs
The Dorset Gypsy Roma and Traveller Advocacy Project: The advocacy project is an exciting new 5 year project funded through The National Lottery Community Fund. The service will provide information advice and support to Gypsy Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities in Dorset and Bournemouth Christchurch Poole (BCP), both those living on sites, those living in the wider community, and those ‘on the road’ ie. passing through the area. It will also raise awareness of the issues faced by these communities.
The project is led by Citizens Advice Central Dorset working with two key delivery partners, Citizens Advice Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole and Kushti Bok, a Dorset-based charity, made up of Gypsies, Travellers and others, which aims to give a voice to the Gypsies and Travellers of Dorset. There will be a team of advocacy workers employed by Citizens Advice.
Citizens Advice are recruiting for a Project Manager and Advocacy Workers – more information here.
Kushti Bok are recruiting for a Co-ordinator and a Finance Officer – more information here.
Information Updates
COST OF LIVING
January Fact Sheet:
2024 JAN Cost-of-Living-Crisis-factsheet
Third cost of living payment: The DWP has confirmed that the third low-income cost of living payment for 2023/24 will be sent to claimants between 6 February and 22 February 2024 or between 16 February and 22 February 2024 for tax credit-only claimants. The payment should be made to those entitled to:
- UC for an assessment period that ended between 13 November 2023 and 12 December 2023, or
- income-based Jobseekers Allowance, income-related ESA, Income Support or Pension Credit for any day between 13 November and 12 December 2013.
Read more here.
EMPLOYMENT
Holiday pay: The government announced changes to statutory holiday pay rules from 1 January 2024 but in effect not much will change for workers from 1 January 2024 for most workers. The intention of the Employment Rights (Amendment, Revocation and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2023 is to mostly preserve the status quo in relation to the body of EU law that has shaped UK holiday pay rules.
However, there are changes for irregular hours and part-year workers, for example in allowing employers to choose to pay rolled-up holiday pay (RUHP) from 1 April 2024. However, RUHP remains technically unlawful until that date and employers seeking to adopt RUHP will need to agree changes to existing contracts in the run up to April.
FAMILY
Claiming the new 15 hours of free childcare for 2 year olds: People in work might be able to get 15 hours of funded childcare a week from 1 April 2024 – this is often called ‘free hours’. If in a couple, both need to be working. The following need to apply:
- your child is 2 years old or will turn 2 years old before 1 April 2024
- you earn at least £8,670 a year and less than £100,000 a year after tax and any deductions – if you’re a couple each of you will need to earn between these amounts
If you already get 15 funded hours of childcare from the government you can’t get these hours as well. You can get the 15 hours of funded childcare at the same time as using Tax-Free Childcare or Universal Credit for childcare. You’ll need to reconfirm your eligibility every 3 months. To do this you’ll be asked to set up a Government Gateway Account if you don’t have one already. Read more on Citizens Advice here.
IMMIGRATION
Health and Care visa workers: what problems do they face at work and how can advisers help them? In February 2022, to address staffing shortages, the UK government made care workers eligible for skilled worker visas, leading to a huge increase in employers actively recruiting overseas. Unfortunately, Citizens Advice is now seeing an increasing number of enquiries from these workers about very poor treatment at work; this article on Adviser Online covers some of the issues, such as misleading information, delays starting work, extortionate fees, and non-compliance with basic UK employment rights.
LOCAL NEWS
Energy Advice
Alternative Fuel Gant: A reminder that these grants are available to those who live off -grid, ie. who heat their homes with oil, coal, wood, bottled gas. This could be a real help for those living in park homes or on Traveller sites. It is also available to people living in HMOs (Houses in Multiple Occupation). Grants are administered through Citizens Advice – call 0800 144 8848, and feel free to circulate these posters:
Park Homes Fuel Grant Poster (1)
Meanwhile, a shout-out for Laura Wilcox, Specialist Energy Adviser at Citizens Advice East Dorset & Purbeck, who recently won ‘Champion on the ground; Advocating for fuel poor households locally’ award at the recent National Energy Action Awards 2023. This was awarded to Laura for her commitment and dedication to improving lives through her deep understanding of energy issues and fuel poverty. Well done Laura!
Events
Energy Savers Week 15 -21 January 2024: This is a week of focused activity with the aim of helping more people to stay warm and save money with confidence this winter. Citizens Advice and Energy Saving Trust have joined forces to create affordable tips to support this aim, and will be sharing these throughout the week of activity. The campaign will be live between 15 – 21 January 2024 and will be supported with social content, resources and a landing page on the Citizens Advice website. Resources can be found here.
Policy in Practice webinar – How the debt sector is connecting people to support: Wednesday 31 January, 10.30 to 11.45. Join this to hear how problem debt is affecting families as the cost of living crisis continues and how the sector is responding. Register here.
Citizens Advice Data Insights – Predictions for an Election Year: Thursday 18th January, 12-1pm. We will be joined by Britain’s foremost pollster Sir John Curtice, to discuss how the cost-of-living crisis and squeeze on household budgets are influencing public opinion ahead of the upcoming elections, and the opportunities and barriers this presents for politicians when writing their election manifestos. Book via eventbrite.
Consumer Awareness Campaign: The next Citizens Advice Consumer Awareness campaign runs from January 29 to February 4, 2024. The focus of the campaign will be on advising people on what to do if things went wrong when shopping for Christmas or shopping in the January sales. This will include issues such as undelivered orders, returning faulty goods, and ensuring safe online shopping after Christmas or during the January sales. Read more here.
Research, reports, etc
Policy in Practice research on unclaimed Attendance Allowance: This research finds that over 1.1 million pension age households could be missing out on £5.2 billion of Attendance Allowance per year. This support is intended to help pension age households cope with the additional costs of disability. Maximising pension age income through the take up of benefits is essential to reduce harm, debt or other crises. Additional income to assist with disability can make a significant difference to people of pension age by affording adequate nutrition, warmth and participation in society. Read more here.
Destitution in the UK 2023: This Joseph Rowntree Foundation study, the fourth in the Destitution in the UK series published in October 2023, reveals approximately 3.8 million people experienced destitution in 2022, including around one million children. This is almost two-and-a-half times the number of people in 2017, and nearly triple the number of children. There is an urgent need for action to tackle destitution in the UK. Read more here.
Funding News
Utilita Giving: This recently registered charity is the charitable arm of Utilita; it will operate primarily by the making of grants to individuals, households and/or other charities with similar objects. The charity intends also to raise the awareness of the public in the causes and consequences of fuel and food poverty which will be achieved by the publication of information on its website and other publicity materials.
The funding is for projects that fall within Utilita Giving’s purpose of supporting people in fuel and food poverty and it will prioritise funding that goes to:
- Relieve fuel poverty or food poverty.
- Educating the public in matters relating to fuel poverty or food poverty, including causes and impacts of such poverty and the things people can do to help prevent it.
Read more here.
7Stars Foundation: Grants of up to £2,500 for registered charities with an annual turnover of less than £1.5 million to deliver projects and activities that support young people aged 16 years and under across the priority themes of abuse, addiction, child carers, and homelessness. Funding is offered across the following streams. Project grants of up to £2,500 to cover the costs of projects that:
- Enable young people to have the best start in life and aim high.
- Have a direct impact and respond to a need in an immediate manner.
- Are hosted in geographical areas of deprivation and socioeconomic disadvantage.
- Respond to one or more of the funding priorities of the 7stars Foundation.
- Address a lack of provision (due to a lack of funding from alternative sources).
- Provide immediate support, not just in the short-term but with long-term benefits too.
Shine Bright grants of up to £1,500 for registered charities to purchase educational, well-being, or recreational items for young people, aged 16 years old or under.
Social Impact funding for three charities across the year for projects that align with various awareness days (such as Race Equality Week, PRIDE month, World Homeless Day or Black History Month).
The trustees typically meet four times a year to review grant applications. Next deadline: 31 January 2024. Read more here.