Two true stories. One short message. One. A young single mum living with her 2 children in a housing association property has lost £30 pw from housing benefit. She must find work if she is to manage her weekly rent payments. She is keen to do so but is likely to struggle. She must factor […]
Discharge from hospital. Healthwatch Surrey, the group that gives local people a voice with the NHS, wants to find out about our experiences of leaving hospital in 2016. The process is known as “hospital discharge”. The experiences of patients and family members are equally valuable. Heathwatch needs to understand the quality of hospital discharge and work with local hospitals […]
Problems multiply. No week in 2016 has been without a worrying new story about social care. In recent days, doubts have even been raised about the sector’s viability. Providers point to a funding crisis caused by lower local government budgets and a higher minimum wage. Today, the BBC reports ministers considering a council tax rise to help solve the problem. Citizens Advice […]
CFS Grant Success. In October 2015 Citizens Advice Reigate and Banstead made a successful application to the Community Foundation for Surrey for funds to appoint an Older Person’s Adviser in the Horley area. The grant was originally restricted to helping those aged 60+ but we recognised a number of clients under that age with long-term health problems also needed support […]
Experiences of self-employment. We’ve started a blog – TalkSelfEmploy – to share experiences of being self-employed for the benefit of people who are (and anyone who thinks they might be). Here are 2 questions we’ll be asking in the TalkSelfEmploy Experience file. Q1. What matters most to self-employed people? (Business requirements obviously but also other things that affect life outside work.) Q2. What can you learn from the experience of […]
Community. Our new self-employment blog. Banstead training. Local firms and social value. Supporting Surrey Choices matching families. Policy. Autumn Statement. Citizens Advice consumer redress research. Energy prices (consumer redress still missing). November CARBS.
We’ve started a blog, TalkSelfEmploy. Why? Self-employment has grown fast. It’s part of a trend we expect to continue – to less traditional working lives and less job security. Every year more Citizens Advice clients are self-employed or thinking about self-employment. Their problems can be about anything but their work may be affected and is sometimes to blame. Everyday our trained volunteers and online service […]
Campaign success for private renters. The chancellor’s decision to ban letting agents’ fees is good news for private renters. The average additional cost per letting is £337, which in all fairness should be paid by the landlord, will in due course be paid by the landlord. Good news too for Citizens Advice. We have campaigned […]
Community workshop. Companies and voluntary groups gathered at Harlequin Redhill on 18 November for a Reigate & Banstead Business Community and Social Value Workshop. Crispin Blunt MP introduced the event and outlined its purpose. He was “keen to support closer co-operation between locally based businesses and the local voluntary community and faith sectors for the benefit of all”. Citizens Advice Reigate & Banstead […]
Essential. Enjoyable. District Training Day is a highlight of our calendar here at Citizens Advice Reigate & Banstead. Should we get out more? In fact nothing is more essential to our volunteer advisers than feeling confident on the big issues. On 2nd November some of the biggest were on the agenda. With 50 colleagues, expert speakers and sun shining we had a great day. Above all it […]