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 80 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
Wessex Water – Community Outreach Coordinator: Full time, salary £26 – £28k. We’re looking for an engaging and effective community outreach coordinator to deliver regional drop-ins for Wessex Water customers and liaise with local communities. We have two roles available; one will mainly cover Bath and Wiltshire and the other will mainly cover Somerset and Dorset. Please note on your application which role you are interested in. Closing date 19 January. Read more here.
Information updates
BENEFITS
Universal Credit: DWP updated information for claimants – here. Also – updated information for couples, here.
Child Benefit on-line claims: New parents can now claim Child Benefit online. Since 1977, families claiming Child Benefit had to fill out a paper form, post it, and wait as long as 16 weeks for their first payment. Now, the quick and easy claims process on GOV.UK takes about 10 minutes and payments could be made in as little as 3 days. Child Benefit is worth £24 a week for the oldest, or only child. The rate for each additional child is £15.90 a week. Claims can be backdated for up to 12 weeks and families are encouraged to apply as soon as possible so they don’t miss out. Read more in the Press Release here.
Personal Independence Payment: This adviser online article looks at what happens when someone makes a new claim for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) while they have an appeal ongoing. The article goes over risks and considerations to be made before making a new claim, as well as what doing so will do to the appeal.
Planned new Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates: The government has now laid the legislation to unfreeze LHA rates for 2024/25. With this, they have published a list of what the rates are expected to be for 960 regions – here. (you have to scroll through to find local ones, for some reason the list is not alphabetical). These should be confirmed at the end of January.
DWP Leaflets: If you still like to use copies of various benefit leaflets, further information on what’s available and how to order is here.
HOUSING
Rent increase cap in social rented sector in England: The Regulator of Social Housing has announced that the maximum increase for social rents in England is 7.7% for the year 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025. Read more here, and there is info on the current rent standards here.
EMPLOYMENT
Statutory holiday rules from 1 January 2024: The Govt has published new guidance here on the changes to statutory holiday pay rules from 1 January 2024 here. However, this may not be as helpful as we would like, as it says: ‘It does not provide definitive answers to all individual queries. It is not intended to be relied upon in any specific context or as a substitute for seeking advice (legal or otherwise) on a specific circumstance, as each case may be different.’
The new rules arose due to the Government’s post-Brexit intentions of returning law making back to UK control. For most employees with predictable working patterns, these new rules mostly restate our existing understanding of statutory holiday entitlement. However, changes begin for irregular hours and part-year workers for holiday years starting from 1 April 2024. There is also information on calculating holiday pay.
RELATIONSHIP
Fund for women fleeing domestic abuse: From 31 January, victims will be able to apply for a one-off payment of up to £500 for essential items such as groceries, nappies or support with new accommodation to help them and their children flee to safety. They can also apply for a further one-off payment of up to £2,500 to help secure a sustainable independent future, such as putting down a deposit for rental accommodation. The fund will be delivered via referrals from a network of local frontline services. Read th Home Office press release here.
UTILITIES
Prepayment Meter (PPM) update: Energy suppliers must show Ofgem that they can follow the new prepayment rules – then they will be allowed to forcibly install PPMs or remotely switch smart meters to PPM mode. On Monday 8 January 2024 EDF, Octopus and Scottish Power were given permission to restart involuntary PPM installations after meeting the regulator’s set of conditions. Information has been updated on Citizens Advice, here.
OTHER
Public Sector Toolkits: The Vulnerability Toolkit and the Economic Abuse Toolkit have been designed to help public sector creditors identify and support their vulnerable customers experiencing a range of difficulties. They may also be useful to other organisations and businesses. In the press release for the new Economic Abuse Toolkit it says the tool aims to help call handlers at businesses and charities recognise abuse when speaking to customers and clients. Specialist charities such as Surviving Economic Abuse will be on standby to offer training to interested organisations. The press release is here and the Toolkits are here.
Car Finance Complaints: Some car finance customers may have been charged too much on their loans. This applies to certain types of finance used before 28 January 2021. Find out what to do if you think this affects you – on the FCA website.
LOCAL
Immigration Clinic- Citizens Advice BCP: A reminder that this is a monthly clinic at Bournemouth Library, and the next dates are 7 February and 6 March. The session runs from 10 -2 but people need to arrive by 9am to sign up. They will then get a 15 minute appointment, which explains the service, finds out about the client’s situation, looks at documents, and identifies options including signposting to organisations which may be able to provide further help.
Transport challenges across Dorset: An important reminder that the data form Transport Challenges Across Dorset is live to capture any and all transport challenges across Dorset, this data will be shared to directly inform future policy, funding, and solutions to improve access to services and places of work in Dorset. If we all use it to give a clear picture of the true problem, on an ongoing basis, this can truly make a fundamental difference to the future of Dorset and our communities. Please ask your teams, whenever possible, to utilise this electronic form to capture transport barriers that they or their customer / family member / other is facing or faced. The form takes an estimated 2-minutes to complete and submit. Please complete each time there is a transport challenge.
Dorset Family Hubs: Family Hubs are a welcoming place for families, offering information, advice or help, and activities and social opportunities There is a range of support for babies, children, young people and their families, such as stay and play sessions, health visiting and midwifery appointments, parenting programmes and information sessions. The Centre Ferndown, and Leigh Park, Wimborne are already open, with plans for a further two to open during 2024. Read more:
Family hub leaflet A5 Nov 23
.
Events
Family Mediation Week 22 – 26 January 2024: The Family Mediation Council says the aim is: “to let more people know about the benefits of family mediation and encourage separating couples to think about family mediation as a way of helping them take control, make decisions together and build a positive future for their family”. There are a number of online events, both for the public and those working in the family justice area. Clients experiencing family and relationship breakdown, and advisers may find these sessions helpful to explain the benefits of mediation. Read more here.
Disability Services Advocacy Team briefings: The Disability Services Advocacy Team support raising awareness of the different Disability Services benefits and grants available. These are Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB). The attached document details upcoming awareness and upskilling sessions for external stakeholders and organisations on Disability Services products and grants in March 2024, including PIP, DLA Child and IIDB. More info in this flyer:
Monthly Sessions – Mar 2024 External
Getting on Board supports people to become charity trustees, particularly those who are currently under-represented on trustee boards. They have a trustee learning programme, offering free courses/briefings on a range of topics – view the programme on Eventbrite.
Research, reports, newsletters and consultations
Citizens Advice – Cost of Living: Here is the link to the January dashboard. There is also a blog: The cost-of-living crisis isn’t ending, so why might the Household Support Fund be? In recent years, the Household Support Fund (HSF) has been the final line of defence for those struggling with the cost of living. However, without any mention in the Autumn Statement of an extension, the Fund’s future is uncertain. The HSF is funded by the central government and administered by local authorities. It supports those who can’t afford essentials like food, energy bills and water through proactive and application-based support. As it stands, the Household Support Fund will end in April 2024. Read the blog here.
Stop Loan Sharks – Winter Newsletter: The past 20 years have seen some big successes in the fight against illegal money lenders in England. This work will continue into 2024 and beyond as we battle to rid our communities of these criminals and support those who have found themselves in their clutches. Read more here.
More than a fifth of PIP appeals lapsed: A written answer from the DWP confirmed that 22% of the 81,000 appeals registered in 2022/23 were lapsed. Lapsing happens when the DWP offers to change their decision in the client’s favour prior to appeal hearing. Just last month, the courts and tribunals service (HMCTS) drew attention to the high number of lapsed appeals as a potential access to justice barrier, stating: ‘It is in the interests of both parties to ensure the right decision is made at the earliest possible stage. This would likely mean more claims being accepted at the application or mandatory reconsideration stage and fewer appeals being submitted to the tribunal.’ Read more on UK Parliament.
Awaab’s Law – Consultation on requirements and timescales for repairs in the social rented sector: In response to the tragic death of 2 year old Awaab Ishak, who died as a result of exposure to severe damp and mould in his social rented home, the government has introduced section 42 Social Housing Regulation Act 2023. This inserts a new section 10A into the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, implying a term into social housing tenancies in England to ensure landlords comply with new requirements to address a wide range of hazards (including damp and mould), within specified timeframes. Failure on the part of the landlord to comply with the requirements can constitute a breach of covenant and put them at risk of a compensation claim in the county court and/or a complaint to the Housing Ombudsman. The Govt is now consulting on various factors, particularly timescales – you can read more and respond here. The consultation is open until 4 March.
Funding News
Community Wellbeing and Mental Health Fund: Dorset Community Foundation (DCF) are working in partnership with Community Action Network (CAN), to deliver this programme; NHS Dorset has provided the funding. The programme is for activities and services for adults only (age 18+) across the county of Dorset (including Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole). The following grants are available: Grants of up to £10,000 for a 6 to 12 month grant period , and grants of up to £80,000 for a 2 year grant period (groups must be established for a minimum of two years to apply).
This funding programme will support community based non-clinical services and activities to adults age 18+ focusing on wellbeing and mental health. Grants will be awarded to support:
- Early intervention services and activities that support people in community based settings to improve their wellbeing and mental health, helping people live well for longer and thereby reducing the need for NHS appointments and clinical intervention.
- Services and activities that empower people to build their resilience and ability to find their own solutions and support strategies, enabling them to lead independent and happy lives. This might include contributing to the communities that support them, taking an active role in supporting others where appropriate, building social networks
- Services and activities that enable people living with mental health conditions to participate in activities that support their recovery and wellbeing, help them to manage their condition, live well in their community, maintain appropriate self-care, and thereby reduce reliance on NHS services.
Three information events are being run in various locations over the next few weeks; the fund itself opens on 22 January and closes on 1 March More information here.
Boots Charitable Trust is an independent registered charity wholly funded by Boots UK Limited. The Trust recently expanded its grants programme from its home base of Nottinghamshire to across the UK. Registered charities working in the areas of health, lifelong learning, community development and social care can apply four times a year for grants of between £100 and £10,000. Grants of up to £5,000 are available for smaller voluntary organisations whose income and expenditure is less than £5,000 per year and who are not yet required to register with the Charity Commission.
To be eligible, projects must meet at least one of Trust’s four funding priorities:
- Health: Community healthcare, such as homecare or support for sufferers of medical conditions, and health education and prevention
- Lifelong learning: Local literacy and numeracy projects
- Community development: For example, supporting councils in providing voluntary services
- Social care: Personal, social or community activities or schemes.
Additionally, a particular focus within each of these priorities is how the projects demonstrate a commitment to improving diversity, equality and inclusion within the community.
The funding can be used for most expenditure items, including salary and running costs. Large building or construction projects will not be funded, although minor structural improvements and refurbishments would be considered.
There are four application windows per year and applications will only be accepted during the quarterly windows. Applications will next be accepted from 1 to 28 February 2024. Read more here