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.
As usual feel free to forward this email to colleagues and they can get in touch with us if they wish to go on the list. If you would like to send anything out via the bulletin, and for all other enquiries about the Advice Dorset Partnership, contact Caroline Buxton on her Citizens Advice Central Dorset email: mailto:caroline.buxton
Jobs
Citizens Advice Central Dorset: CACD has three current roles available:
- HR Development Manager: [15 hours week] you will be responsible for overseeing the recruitment and staffing of paid staff, trustees and volunteers. This will include drafting recruitment materials, processing applications, conducting interviews, and maintaining accurate personnel records. In addition to managing staff, you will also play a key role in the recruitment and retention of volunteers. This will involve processing volunteer applications, organising interviews and training sessions, and maintaining accurate volunteer records.
- Debt Administrator: [8 hours/week] This is a key member of the team, who understands the debt processes (with training if required), manages the administrative requirements of dealing with debt paperwork from clients and creditors, carries out regular risk assessments when handling documents, sets up and maintains files and checklists, and keeps oversight of dates and deadlines.
- Administrative Support Assistant:[14 hours/week] This will suit an organised, efficient and motivated person who can ensure the smooth running of the organisation. Building on existing processes and procedures, the role will be to support the administration of the trustee board and the offices across Central Dorset Citizens Advice.
Closing date for all – 25 May. Read more here.
Information updates
COST OF LIVING
Cost-of-Living-Crisis-factsheet-MAY-2023
Energy Bills Support Scheme [EBSS]: The EBSS ended in March 2023, but for those on legacy prepayment meters, they have until 30 June to redeem the vouchers. Redemption rates are rising but there are still thousands of £s of unredeemed vouchers.
Pension Credit and CoL payments: People who claim Pension Credit by 19 May will qualify for the latest £301 Cost of Living Payment, which they would then receive directly into their bank accounts. Provided a claim is made before 19 May, it can be backdated for up to three months so long as the applicant was also eligible to receive it during that time. All pensioners on a low income can check their eligibility and get an estimate of what they may receive by using the online Pension Credit calculator. The DWP has also produced a toolkit – here – containing informative videos, social media assets, posters and leaflets that you can share with your customers and networks to help communicate this message.
DEBT
Guidance for creditors on how to support customers with mental health problems; The Money and Pensions Service (MAPS) has published new guidance – here. It sets out six key areas where creditors in financial services, utilities and the public sector can do more to support those who are struggling with debt problems and their mental health.
FAMILY
Kinship carers – legal aid changes: From 1 May 2023 legal aid will be extended to cover applications for special guardianship orders made by kinship carers. Kinship carers are family members or friends who take on the care of children who cannot safely remain with their parents. Special guardianship orders formalise the carers’ position and provide them with parental responsibility for the child until they reach 18. This extension of means and merit tested legal aid will apply to private law proceedings and will also cover parents who wish to oppose these applications. The Govt’s press release is here, and there is more background info on the Family Rights Group website here.
EMPLOYMENT
Supporting disabled workers and workers with long-term health conditions in work: This HSE best practice guidance was produced in November 2022 Read more here. There is now also a podcast discussing simple principles and practical examples – here.
The Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 202: This Act – or Tipping Bill – has become law, but will not come into force until around May 2024, following a consultation period and secondary legislation. ACAS will draft a new code of practice to support the implementation of this legislation. The Government believes that around 2 million workers will be entitled to retain 100% of tips earned, worth around £200 million in terms of current employer deductions. Employers will be required to allocate tips no later than the end of the month. Read more in the Govt’s press release here.
IMMIGRATION
Sudan, homelessness and habitual residence: An email (below, dated 1 May 2013) from the Department for Levelling Up to local authorities on homelessness applications from British nationals returning from Sudan says:
- normal homelessness rules apply
- they do not need a local connection
- arriving via a port of entry does not give them a local connection to the local authority for that area
- the rules on habitual residence for benefits and housing will be changed to exempt those returning from Sudan, but local authorities should be flexible in the meantime.
SCAMS
Civil Enforcement Association (CIVEA) warning: CIVEA are advising of a scam company posing as an enforcement agency and sending out fake Notices of Enforcement. Details from genuine enforcement agencies are used fraudulently on the company website. The company has changed its name several times that CIVEA are aware of: Debt Recovery Solutions, Court Enforcement Bailiffs – aka CEBG Legal,
WIRO…..anyone encountering this situation should report it to Action Fraud.
Spoofed numbers: Ofcom have introduced new rules which require phone companies to identify and block ‘spoofed’ calls – where scammers have imitated the phone numbers of legitimate organisations. This makes potential victims more likely to answer the call, and act on any instructions. Companies must do this wherever feasible – the rules were originally announced, here, in November 2022, but phone companies have had 6 months to comply.
Local
State of the Sector – Dorset 2023 – Survey: This annual survey informs strategic decisions made by the Dorset Integrated Care Partnership, local Councils and NHS Dorset, AND provides vital evidence of need and development. Please take about 30 minutes to add your contribution to the latest picture of how the Voluntary and Community Sector is fairing. The survey aims to capture information we can share widely and use going forward to look at how the sector is changing, how we can best work together, and our role in offering the right support, training and influence. Closing date 31 May. The survey is here.
Steps2Wellbeing – new website: Steps2Wellbeing is an NHS Dorset HealthCare talking therapy / counselling service, which enables anyone across Dorset to refer themselves, without the need for a GP appointment if they are experiencing anxiety/depression. Stes2Wellbeing have launched a brand new website – making it easier than ever for people to independently access mental health support. Visit the new website.
Events
Citizens Advice Cost of Living Briefings: The data from today’s briefing is here, and there is a recording on the session here. The guest speakers were Carys Roberts, Executive Director at Institute for Public Policy Reform (IPPR) and Paul Johnson, Director at Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). The next Briefing is Monday 5 June, 12 – 1pm; book via eventbrite.
Scams Awareness Campaign 22-28 May 2023: Every year, Citizens Advice runs the Scams Awareness campaign. In 2023, this will take place over 2 weeks: 22-28 May and 3-9 July. The campaign aims to create a network of confident, alert consumers who know what to do when they spot a scam. Help us spread the message that scams are crimes that can happen to anyone and that we can all take a stand to help stop them. There are actions we can all take to report them, share stories and raise awareness of scams to safeguard ourselves and others. There is a useful toolkit here, and the key messages are:
- Stop and get advice. Contact Citizens Advice online at citizensadvice.org.uk/scamsadvice or on 0808 223 1133.
- Report scams to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or @actionfrauduk on Twitter.
- Talk with friends, family and neighbours about scams they’ve experienced.
Mental Health Awareness Week 15 – 21 May: Anxiety is a normal emotion in us all, but sometimes it can get out of control and become a mental health problem. Focusing on anxiety for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week will increase people’s awareness and understanding of anxiety by providing information on the things that can help prevent it from becoming a problem. Read more from the Mental Health Foundation here.
BCHA Learn – learn to spend smarter: BCHA Learn are offering a free information clinic which will help people make their money go further with energy-saving tips and advice. They can support them to get the help they want and need if they are struggling to make ends meet. Sessions are every Wednesday of the month, from 12pm-4pm at : BCHA Learn, 3-5 Palmerston Road, Bournemouth BH1 4HN. More information: 07971614935 or email: [email protected].
Reports, research, strategies etc
Dorset’s Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) strategy: This new strategy sets out how the NHS, councils, voluntary and community sector and other partners within the ICP will work together to make the best possible improvements in the health and wellbeing of local people. Within it are the main things that people in Dorset have shared that affects them, both good and bad. Where things aren’t working, the ICP will look at what can be done to make things better for everyone. Read more here.
Citizens Advice Blogs:
- Living with a disability – the continuing crisis: This Citizens Advice blog features a case study to highlight issues faced by those with a disability. Disabled people are vulnerable to price increases because a higher proportion of their income is spent on essentials like food and energy. Scope estimates these extra costs average £583 a month. The Resolution Foundation found the gap in household income excluding disability benefits between disabled and non-disabled adults to be around 44% (£8,447) from 2020 to 2021. And around 2 in 5 disabled people in their survey said they couldn’t afford to keep their homes warm, almost twice the number of non-disabled adults. Read more here.
- A debt time-bomb is about to go off — why aren’t we doing anything about it?: The cost of living crisis is morphing into a household debt crisis. As we run out of will/levers to tackle the former, we need to start preparing for the latter, now. Read more here.
MoneySavingExpert raises issue of incorrect information about Student Loans: Martin Lewis wrote an open email to the Student Loan Company to highlight misleading information on maintenance loans in England on Gov.uk, which could lead to a material number of students not getting the full amount they’re entitled to. This information has now been corrected. Read more here.
CPAG Briefings:
- The minimum cost of education: Researchers have found that going to school in the UK costs families of primary school children at least £864.87 a year, or £18.69 a week. This is before childcare costs are accounted for. For families of secondary school children, the cost of sending a child to school is at least £1,755.97 a year. Read more here.
- Exploring social tariffs for energy: A social tariff that reduces the cost of fuel for low-income households could, in principle, more than halve the fuel poverty rate. Read a new briefing from academics at the University of York, here.
Funding News
Dorset Council – Community & Culture Project Fund Round 5: Opened 9 May. Small grants of between £1,000- £5,000 are available for community led projects that support marginalised and disadvantaged groups in the Dorset council area (NOT BCP). Applications can be submitted via an online application form and close on 7 July 2023. Community food projects are eligible to apply for a grant (subject to meeting the funds grant criteria) details of which can be found on the webpage here.
You can also sign up for Dorset Fundfinder updates here.
BCP Thriving Communities Fund: This programme will distribute some of the funds received by BCP Council via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. There are two Fund Priorities – groups can apply for one grant only, choosing which priority is most appropriate:
- Priority 1: Volunteering & Social Action (grants up to £5,000)
- Priority 2: Community Buildings (grants up to £2,000)
Both Fund Priorities align to the outcomes contained within the BCP Corporate Plan; Sustainable Environment, Connected Communities, Brighter Futures, Fulfilled Lives. Closing date 23 June. Read more here.
Two funds opening shortly: