Annual Report 2003-04
Seeing the Bigger Picture
Social Policy
Social policy is one of the twin aims of the Citizens Advice Bureau. This marks us out from other organisations who sometimes criticize us for not being "campaigning". In fact Citizens Advice has the ear of parliament and is the largest lobbying group in the country.
Each bureau sends real evidence as experienced by real people to our national association which in turn uses this evidence to promote change nationally.
Our clients are the whole of the population of North East Derbyshire, not just the ones who patiently sit in our waiting rooms or use our telephone advice line. By using evidence gathered from the people we see we can help to influence change that affects everyone.
Over recent months we have provided evidence on a wide variety of issues. These include tax credits, payment of benefits into Post Office accounts, prepayment of utilities, maladministration by Jobcentre Plus and the closure of local Post Offices.
A major piece of work has been our vocal concern over doorstep lenders. Our last annual report featured this heavily. The Derbyshire Times ran an article about our views and we wrote to Harry Barnes. The national press is also picking up this issue and we intend to keep up the pressure to call for a capping on interest rates offered to the most vulnerable and deprived sectors of the community.
North East Derbyshire & Bolsover Debt Teams
The debt teams provided comprehensive money advice and income maximisation to over 400 residents last year.
On average the teams dealt with over 40 new cases a month. The total re-scheduled debt reached £3 million.
Repossession of homes and goods continued to provide a significant proportion of the work and increasingly the bureau is helping people with highly complex issues.
We have a good working relationship with Trading Standards and report the practices of local lenders when we suspect that they are acting inappropriately. Our links with other organisations have also been very productive. We have had success in securing charitable payments from Severn Trent Trust Fund and British Region amongst others. Thus far we have obtained more than £70,000. This money has been used to clear rent arrears, utilities, washing machines, carpets and holidays for families under pressure.
We have helped people with fines in the magistrates court and more successfully asked the court to use its discretion and remit some of them.
We have also seen people succumbing to the pressures of doorstep lenders rather than paying their rent or council tax. We aim to reverse this trend and help people preserve their homes. The local authorities should be able to monitor our success by examining collection figures for rent and council tax.
We have actively campaigned against lenders charging large interest rates to people who have little or no access to more favourable borrowing.
The impact on peopleís health has also been affected positively. GPís are acutely aware of the link between poverty and ill health and offer CAB services as part of their prescribing.
We have seen several cases of families with members suffering from mental illness and/or drug abuse. These cases are time consuming but again offer much needed practical help to sections of the community often neglected or misunderstood.
We have also helped older residents to cope with the difficulties of navigating the onslaught of competing utility companies. We have had cases of people being supplied by a succession of providers and literally not knowing which bill they should pay. Little wonder arrears can build up leaving people with a legacy of worry and stress. We are trying the encourage this traditionally resistant group to claim all the benefits available to them, particularly pension credits, council tax and housing benefit and attendance allowance.
In summary, the people of North East Derbyshire and Bolsover enjoy a professional responsive service that makes a difference to the security and well being of the community and plays a vital role in offering preventative action.
North East Derbyshire Welfare Rights
We have long held the view that timely accurate advice at the onset of a claim produces better outcomes for clients and has a lesser impact on the already stretched resources of the Appeals Service. Since our welfare rights team have been taking a pro-active approach to the application of incapacity benefit, disability living allowance and attendance allowance, the results have confirmed this application increase and the need for review at appeal decrease.
This then, has the effect of freeing up our experts time, to pursue more complex welfare rights issues.
When we see clients with welfare rights problems we try and look past the immediate presenting issue and adopt a holistic approach. We offer a full benefit check and will refer internally, where appropriate, to our by offering out of hours appointments and home visits to the housebound.
We have had particular success in identifying unclaimed premiums on pension credits which has resulted in increasing the income of some elderly residents by three or four times. We are keen to ensure that this group of people claim all the benefits available to them.
We have also had some success in ensuring treated fairly by Inland Revenue. We have seen cases where overpayments of working tax credit have been clawed back by child tax credit, thus leaving individuals considerably worse off than they were without the governments much heralded tax credit system! We have secured emergency payments for these people and acknowledge the help of local MP's in this regard. We regularly write to our MP's and value our relationship with them.
Childrens Fund
Our work with families and children continues to grow. We attend Sure Start sessions in Pilsley, Holmewood and North Wingfield. We take referrals from health visitors, social workers and Sure Start staff.
Website
The website underwent a re-vamp this year and has a new youth section, social policy pages and consumer advice with downloadable interactive letters to send to traders etc. To introduce the youth site we have produced 'credit card' style cards with the details and distributed these to local schools and libraries.
Training
Our training programme continues to be well received by those who want to be volunteer advisers. This year however we have suffered from a shortage of advisers at some sessions and would like to take this opportunity to appeal for more people to offer their services.
The free training is comprehensive and enables people to learn new skills, build confidence and improve their job opportunities. All learning is tailored to the individual.
Message from the Chair
Once again I look back on a productive and interesting year. The hard work and dedication of all the staff and volunteers continues to improve the lives of people in North East Derbyshire and Bolsover.
As always I give a tremendous thank you to the various funders who enable our work to continue and look forward to their continued support - North East Derbyshire District Council, The Legal Services Commission, The Parish and Town Council and the Children's Fund.
Last updated: March 15, 2007