Benefit delivery is causing financial hardship. Citizens Advice is calling on the government to pause the rollout of Universal Credit. The application system requires claimants to wait 6 weeks for payment leading to financial insecurity and debt. Many are falling behind with regular payments including rent and some are even at risk of losing their homes. In Surrey Universal Credit is at currently available to just a small group. Full […]
Service now in place. Citizens Advice Reigate & Banstead court desk is up and running again. Our advisers can now help local people facing action in the Guildford County Court sitting at Crawley Magistrates Court. For years the service supported people in local courts, particularly those defending housing cases. However in March the Redhill and Reigate courts closed and it looked as if such people would have to attend court […]
Healthwatch Surrey Report. Published last month the new report from Healthwatch Surrey does exactly what it says on the cover. It presents the experience of people in 14 different groups managing a disability or social disadvantage. Interviewees are broadly content. On average almost 88% feel GP services in 6 Surrey Clinical Commissioning Group areas are good (national 85%). But HWS recommends action to deal with: difficulty […]
Minimum wages and the self-employed. A new paper on improving self-employment with comment from Lord Adair Turner* created a lot of interest in this week’s Resolution Foundation event. Resolution’s thorough study proposes new government policies to make self-employment more secure, to tackle the abuses of ‘bogus’ self-employment, but also to protect the tax base as employment practice changes: Extending Statutory Maternity Pay Extending contributory Jobseekers’ Allowance to […]
Annual Report. “Building strong and trusting relationships with our system partners”. That’s how Healthwatch Surrey describes itself in its 2016-17 annual report. At Citizens Advice Reigate & Banstead we’re more than happy to endorse the claim. Healthwatch Surrey exists to give the community a voice in the NHS. We’re proud to work with them in helping people get the information they need and listening on their behalf […]
Ofgem proposes extra help for vulnerable customers. Energy regulator Ofgem today published proposals* for a safeguard tariff for vulnerable customers “to protect them from overpaying for their energy”. It had been expected that the government would tell Ofgem to cap prices for all customers. The growing call for such a cap followed the Competition and Markets Authority’s report in 2016 […]
A service proving its worth. If we’re honest, not many of us are exactly on top of “uncrystallised pension lump sums” or “guaranteed annuity values”. Sarah Mountjoy of Pension Wise Sutton is one who is. Redhill volunteers and staff welcomed Sarah to their latest expert briefing* on key issues and organisations. Sarah led a discussion about Pension Wise and its essential work with those approaching pension age who […]
Sharing support. The British Red Cross and Citizens Advice have a lot in common. Whether it’s shared values such as impartiality and voluntary service or commitment to working for a stronger community. Last week we began to make that understanding more helpful to both. Citizens Advice Banstead outreach volunteer Helen Howe met Claire Richards and […]
Our profiles* of local traders reveal the most common rewards and worries of going self-employed. 2 Roger – Gas Engineer Roger was originally an apprentice with British Gas but eventually decided to go self-employed. Like most of his colleagues, he felt the company wasn’t paying well at the time. He now enjoys feeling his time is […]