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 100 people have subscribed; if you haven’t done so already please do asap.
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, volunteering and other opportunities
LiveWell Dorset Wellbeing Champion Network: Would you be interested in joining the LiveWell Dorset Wellbeing Champions network? As a LiveWell Dorset Wellbeing Champion you would have an interest and understanding of health and wellbeing and a desire to support your colleagues in the workplace. You would play an important role in promoting the valuable work of LiveWell Dorset through encouraging, supporting and signposting your colleagues to resources, training, information and coaching as well as connecting clients and customers to LiveWell through your organisation.
As a wellbeing champion you will have access to the Livewell Dorset Wellbeing Champion network, designed to support you in your own continuing professional development. Being part of the network will not impinge on your time; there is a quarterly one-hour learning sets, but this is not compulsory. You will have access to the Teams site, where you would be free to share any resources or tips to do with wellbeing and gain knowledge from others, but again this is not compulsory. You will be given a Wellbeing logo that you can add to your signature, which will help people to identify you as a wellbeing champion for LiveWell. For more information contact Sara Tattershall.
Citizens Advice / Kushti Bok – Gypsy Roma Traveller Advocacy Project: Two roles are still available:
- Advocacy Worker. 0.5FTE, employed by Citizens Advice BCP. Read more here. [Closing date extended]
- Finance / Admin officer, part-time, to work for Kushti Bok: read more here.
Information updates
BENEFITS
Benefit Uprating from 8 April: The State Pension has increased by 8.5 percent, those entitled to a full pension will get £221.20 per week. Pension Credit, a passport benefit to provide additional support for low-income pensioners will also see a significant rise, with the average award worth over £3,900. Those on Universal Credit and other DWP benefits, such as Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance, will see a 6.7% rise. More detail here.
UC Migration: The DWP have now confirmed details of the rollout of UC, including the migration of pension age tax credit claimants (including mixed age couples) from August 2024. Read the press release here.
DEBT
Debt Relief Order (DRO) updates: The £90 DRO fee has now been removed for any applications submitted on or after 6 April 2024. The Insolvency Service is updating the online system but has advised that for the moment the application screen will look the same, and will include the option to create payment links. Here is an updated DRO factsheet from Citizens Advice:
Debt relief orders_ what you need to know
Insolvency Practitioners (IPs) advised to review their cases in light of DRO changes: The Insolvency Service has written to IPs to inform them of the DRO changes, and advise them to consider the impact of these on their current IVA consumers. IVA cases should be reviewed where appropriate, taking into account ‘consumer’s individual circumstances’ and IPs are reminded that they have ‘an obligation to ensure that people in financial difficulty are provided with all relevant information to make an informed decision on the right solution for their individual circumstances.’ Read more here.
IVA scams: Debt advisers are reporting new instances of a scam involving IVAs: People are receiving emails supposedly from bailiffs or the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) about a “legal notice of attachment”. The scammer then offers them a chance to sort out these debts. This is a phishing exercise by scammers. Read more on the Debt Camel website.
EMPLOYMENT
Updated guidance on holiday entitlement and pay: The Department of Business and Trade (DBT) has issued an update to its guidance on simplifying holiday entitlement and holiday pay calculations. The changes attempt to achieve more clarity on the application of the new rules from 1 April 2024, including who falls within the definition of a part-year worker, whether bonuses should be included in holiday pay calculations, and guidance for calculating holiday pay where rolled-up holiday pay is not being used for irregular hours or part-year workers.
New Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) guidance: The EHRC has produced an updated toolkit to provide employers with clear advice on what they should do to prevent pregnancy and maternity discrimination at work. This updated guidance reflects changes to the law which have come into effect this month (April 2024), and includes:
- extending redundancy protection to pregnancy and for maternity, adoption and shared parental (MASP) leave
- offer suitable alternative employment during pregnancy and MASP leave in a redundancy situation, recognising that these workers hold priority over other employees regarding alternative roles
Read more here.
Carer’s Leave Act: The Carer’s Leave Act came into force on 6 April. This gives a new entitlement to a week of unpaid leave for unpaid carers who are caring for a dependant with a long-term care need. This will enable carers to better balance their caring and work responsibilities, supporting them to remain in employment. More information and guidance about carers leave is here.
IMMIGRATION
e Visas: From 17 April 2024, the Home Office will begin to send emails to all those with physical immigration documents, called biometric residence permits (BRPs), inviting them to create a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account to access their eVisa, a digital proof of their immigration status. People will need to to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa. Read the Govt press release here.
LEGAL
Mediation in small claims: From 22 May 2024, attending a mediation session will be compulsory in small claims cases of up to £10,000 where the claim has been made on paper or through the traditional online systems. Read more on this HMCTS blog.
Guidance on Legal Aid means testing: The Legal Aid Agency has issued updated guidance on working out financial eligibility for legal aid funding. The guidance provides information on means testing, passported benefits and provides a link to the ‘civil legal aid eligibility calculator’. More information about the civil legal aid means testing guidance is here.
The Legal Aid Agency has also issued an updated keycard, which summarises the guidance used to determine if a person is eligible for legal aid funding. Read the updated keycard 60.
Court fees to increase: In November 2023 the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) launched a consultation on ‘Implementing increases to selected court and tribunal fees’. The Government has now published its response to the submissions and will implement a 10% increase to 172 fees. This decision is justified by pointing to increases in the consumer price index (CPI), the fact that fees have not increased since 2021, and recent changes to the Help with Fees scheme.
The divorce fee (£593), however, is to remain unchanged. Objections had been raised in the consultation that an increase would disproportionately affect women who are more likely to apply, and there was little alternative in an unhappy relationship. There would also be a risk of deterring applications, particularly for women in abusive relationships. It was accepted that the divorce fee is an ‘enhanced’ fee in that it is set above the actual cost of service, particularly as the court process has been much simplified due to ‘no fault’ divorce.
Housing; The fee to issue a possession claim will be £391 and the cost of issuing a county court bailiff warrant will now be £143.
More information on all these increases is here – the new fees are in Annex B.
Events
STARS Dorset – celebration events: Aimed at professionals, to celebrate STARS 5th year, there are 3 events – Thursday 9 May (Bournemouth), Wednesday 15 May (Dorchester) and Thursday 16 May (Gillingham).More information:
5 Year celebration invite professionals
Citizens Advice Data Insights – Is the Cost-of-Living Crisis really over? Wednesday 15 May, 11-12pm. This briefing will look at the claims that the cost-of-living crisis is easing. For the first time we’ll be able to see in our data the impact of the government’s measures to ease the crisis, which were effective from April. However, the crisis is deep and we’ll be asking if the Government has done enough to support the most vulnerable. Book via eventbrite.
Consultations
CAN State of the Sector 2024 – survey: The VCS is the backbone of our communities, providing vital services and support to residents across Dorset. But with the landscape constantly evolving, we need your help to understand the current state of the VCS and how best to champion your work. The survey is here.
Reports, research, etc
Council Tax Support? A benefit determined by postcode not need: As you will know, since 2013 each local authority has set its own Council Tax support (or reduction) scheme. In the last 10 years, the level of council tax debt has more than doubled. Most councils offer a less generous scheme than the old CT Benefit. The majority of schemes have a minimum payment: a proportion of council tax that all working-age residents must pay, regardless of income. Some schemes also limit support depending on which council tax band you live in. These variations mean the same household could have substantially different entitlements depending on where they live. Read this new Citizens Advice report here.
Parcel “safe place” blog: Citizens Advice has published a new blog about using a safe place when receiving a parcel delivery. We’ve seen growing numbers of people reporting problems with the safe place system – with parcels being left in full view of busy roads or in insecure locations chosen by delivery drivers. The blog discusses consumer rights when nominating a safe place and tips for reducing the risk of problems.
Citizens Advice data insights: The slides from the April briefing are here.
Cost of Living Support – Impact on Households Below Average Income FYE 2023 low-income statistics: This Govt analysis looks at the impact of the cost of living support schemes on the overall population as well as children, working-age adults, pensioners, and individuals in families where someone has a disability. It looks at how many were brought below the income-based poverty thresholds (absolute and relative poverty both before and after housing costs) as well as the impact on the poverty rates for each group. Read more here.
Coping and hoping – Navigating the ups and downs of monthly assessment in Universal Credit: This report from Bath Uni’s Institute of Policy Research explores how Universal Credit is affecting income security and financial well-being, month to month, in real life settings. Read more here.
Funding News
Dorset Council’s Community & Culture Project Fund: Round 7 of this fund has reopened for new applications. The small grants fund will close midnight Sunday 9 June 2024. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Decisions will be made in July 2024.
Not-for-profit groups meeting our eligibility and funding criteria can apply for a grant of up to £5,000. Dorset Council will fund up to 80% of applicants total project costs. Those applying will need to demonstrate how they intend to raise the remaining 20% themselves through additional funding (grants), sponsorship, fundraising or funding from other partners.
New and emerging groups (who are less than 12 months old) can apply for a smaller grant of up to £1,500.
The grant fund is for one-off events; activities and specific project based work that supports marginalised and under-represented groups in the Dorset Council area only. We cannot fund activities and projects delivered in the BCP area. More details on the website.
Dorset Welcome Fund: Grants are available to help refugees build new lives in the county. The Dorset Welcome Fund has reopened, offering grants of up to £5,000 to voluntary groups and charities to support community action that helps refugees and asylum seekers of any nationality arriving, residing, or settling in Dorset. The fund is once again being supported with contributions of £50,000 from Dorset Council and £30,000 from BCP Council as well as from Dorset Community Foundation fund holders
Read more on the Dorset Community Foundation website.
Wessex Water Environment Fund: Dorset Community Foundation is pleased to deliver this funding programme in partnership with Wessex Water, supporting charitable and community activities that improve local biodiversity or have a positive impact on the local environment for local people.
Grants of up to £2,000 are available to support charitable and community activities that improve local biodiversity or have a positive impact on the local environment for local people. This could include projects to restore, maintain or enhance the local natural environment, activities aimed at reducing waste, using less energy or less water, recycling activities or community growing activities. Applicants must be based and working in Dorset or Ringwood and have an annual income of less than £500,000. This fund opens on 22nd April and closes midday 17th May 2024; read more on the Dorset Community Foundation website.
Comic Relief – Youth Homelessness in the UK: Grants are available to support UK based not-for-profit organisations that work to empower young people who are at immediate risk of or experiencing homelessness to access the right support at the right time. This funding opportunity offers flexible, core funding to organisations which do both of the following:
- Specialise in the provision of holistic support to young people aged 16-25 in the UK, who are at immediate risk of, or experiencing homelessness. Support services should be tailored, inclusive and accessible, to remove barriers and better meet the multiple and diverse needs of young people at immediate risk of or experiencing homelessness. This work could be delivered by the applicant alone or in partnership.
- Meaningfully involve young people with lived experience of homelessness, or who have been at risk of homelessness. This should include involving young people in the development of the organisation’s work and priority areas, and/or in the running of the organisation.
Although not a requirement, there is interest in organisations who work to change public attitudes towards youth homelessness and/or reduce the stigma and discrimination that young people face. This influencing work can be done either by the applicant or by working in partnership with others to effect change.
Grants of up to £200,000 are available. The funding is restricted for use over a period of three to five years. This is a three stage application process deadline for full application is 7 May 2024 (15:00). Read more here.