Shetland Islands Citizens Advice Bureau
Annual Report 2019-2020
Introduction from the Chair Welcome to this annual report summarising the achievements of Shetland Islands Citizens Advice Bureau in 2019/20. The importance of the work undertaken by the staff and volunteers of Shetland CAB has been highlighted in a year that saw the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic. Their hard work and flexibility has enabled us to continue to provide support and advice to people right across Shetland throughout lockdown and beyond. 1868 local people used our service this year and a significant proportion of these were new clients. It is good to see that we continue to reach new people. We are proud of the impact that our work has on assisting those in need in our community. Shetland CAB helps clients improve their health and wellbeing and reduce their stress in many ways. Advisers assist clients to claim the benefits they’re entitled to, thus increasing the amount of money in their pockets. The financial gain for clients in 2019/20 was over £2.1 million, mostly through successful benefit applications and appeals. Our specialist money adviser supports people to tackle money worries and debt. Advice and assistance has been given to clients with debt of over £1 million pounds. It is anticipated that the need for this support will rise due to the pandemic. The demand for employment advice tripled in the last month of this year due to the impact of coronavirus.
The pandemic has also impacted on the way we work. We are pleased with the speed at which we have been able to adapt from a service provided from a central office, outreach to people’s homes and health centres; and change to one provided over the phone, and by email and video-calling by staff working from home. We thank our staff and volunteers for their adaptability and dedication to the work of the Shetland CAB to enable this to happen. Throughout the year we have provided a range of services including the Patient Advice and Support Service supporting anyone wishing to make a comment or complaint about an NHS service. The EU Settled Status project has provided extra support to EU citizens making applications for settled status; and Pensionwise continues to provide impartial guidance on pension options. We are also able to help people to live in warmer homes through our specialist energy advice which supports clients to achieve savings on energy bills and their environmental impact. Our Climate Challenge Fund project exceeded its targets by achieving a 283 tonnes carbon saving. The work we undertake is possible due to the funding we receive from a range of organisations. It is only in partnership with these agencies that we can continue to support and make a difference in the lives of those in our community and we would like to give particular thanks to Shetland Charitable Trust, Shetland Islands Council, Citizens Advice Scotland and Keep Scotland Beautiful for the financial support they provide. The need for our service continues to grow and Shetland CAB remains dedicated to supporting the people of Shetland. Fiona Robertson Chair
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Annual Report 2019-20
Our year in numbers 1254 of whom were new to the service.
We supported
1868
40%
32%
21%
7%
face-to-face
by phone
We offered
366
individual clients
Home Visits to people who would not have been able to access the service otherwise
by email
by letter
We advised on 6,377 issues 13% 8% 60% Benefits
£2,179,551
Debt / Financial Products Utilities and & Services / Tax Communication
financial gain was achieved for
4% Legal 3% Employment 3% Relationship 3% Immigration 2% Housing 2% Consumer 1% Health & Community Care 1% Travel & Transport
136 £1,153,745 £8,675 People assisted with debt
569
clients supported by CAB This included
£1,966,223
total debt we helped clients with
Average debt per client
gained through successful benefit applications, appeals and back payments.
Our Clients
55%
57%
43%
43%
are female
have a disability
owner occupiers
rent their property
31%
30%
22%
49%
29%
are retired
Aged 18-34
Aged 35-64
are employed
10,000+ 3
Annual Report 2019-20
Hours donated by our volunteers
= £82,000+
Aged 65+ At the National Living Wage
Volunteering Voice For Helen Wilson, every bureau shift demands super-human effort and a day to recover afterwards – but she’s not complaining. When Helen Wilson suffered a stroke a few days before her 40th birthday, it was naturally devastating. But she was convinced she would soon be able to return to normal life and her job as a cook in a care home. “I got better quite quickly, because I got a lot of physio and speech therapy,” she says. “I honestly thought I was going back to work.” Determination in the face of ill health was already a way of life for Helen. She had battled heart disease since childhood – in fact, the bloodthinning medications for that condition are thought to have triggered her stroke. This time, however, she faced bigger barriers to recovery. Her left side had been weakened by the stroke and she tired easily. Reluctantly, she had to give up her job. Two years on, she felt well enough to attend a college course for people seeking a way back to work. She hugely enjoyed the experience. But as the course drew to an end, harsh reality set in again. “A lot of the other students were at the stage of going to job interviews and getting back to work,” Helen recalls. “I thought, what can I do? I knew I couldn’t do anything physical.” She shared her despair with the course tutor, who suggested Helen try volunteering. Shortly afterwards she saw an advert in her local paper for volunteers to work at Shetland Islands Citizens Advice Bureau. Her husband, John, encouraged her to apply.
“I went to the interview, though I felt out of my depth and that I’d bitten off more than I could chew. I didn’t think I could advise anybody,” she confesses. Then, at the first training day, she was surprised to meet a neighbour, Trevor Tindall. He too was seeking a purpose after health problems. “We bounced off each other and pulled each other through the training – then we ended up working the same shifts in the bureau,” says Helen. Fifteen years on, Helen is still exhilarated by her CAB work. She particularly loves the Thursday evening drop-in sessions: “Thursdays are amazing. It’s more relaxed and you never know what’s going to come up.” Shetland clients’ issues are often similar to those in the rest of Scotland – benefits, housing and consumer problems are common. Recently Helen has also noticed a rise in scams that take advantage of locals’ good nature: “A lot of people in Shetland are very trusting, especially older people, and they think it’s rude to put the phone down on someone.”"
‘I get a lot of pleasure from being able to help somebody - I wish I’d started years earlier’
Helen Wilson, centre, with Lerwick bureau colleagues, showing off the trophy she won in the ‘special recognition’ category of the Volunteer Awards
Mentor turns manager "Helen’s eight hours of volunteering a week come at a high cost. She makes a 40-mile round trip for each stint, part of it on single-track roads. Because of a leg injury, she drives a speciallyadapted car and walks with the aid of a stick or uses a wheelchair. “The day after my shifts, I’m always exhausted and I have to rest,” she says. “But it’s great to feel useful and be able to get my teeth into something. I get a lot of pleasure from being able to help somebody. I wish I’d started years earlier.” Helen’s spirit and resilience were recognised when she earned the special recognition prize in the last round of the CAS Volunteer Awards. At the awards ceremony she had just one regret. Her neighbour and colleague Trevor had died in 2013: “When I was presented with the certificate, I was just thinking, ‘me and Trevor should be getting this together’.”" 5
Annual Report 2019-20
The tutor who inspired Helen Wilson to try volunteering is now her boss. Karen Eunson led the New Directions course that pointed Helen towards CAB work. By coincidence, Karen later became manager at the Shetland Islands Bureau. “I didn’t have a lot of self-belief at that time, but Karen could see the potential in people,” says Helen. For her part, Karen pays tribute to Helen’s determination to spend her limited energies helping others, despite challenges that would leave others housebound. “Helen is recognised as one of our most skilled and knowledgeable advisers, with particular strengths in the complex field of benefits and an excellent rapport with clients,” she adds.
Join the Team! Do you enjoy helping all kinds of people? Are you a good listener? Can you commit 6-8 hours per week? Volunteer for your local CAB
• Meet new people and learn new skills • Make a real difference in your community No special skills or knowledge needed. Just good communication skills and basic arithmetic and IT skills. Contact us to find out about the training and support we can offer. Travel expenses paid.
Contact Shetland CAB on 01595 694696 or by emailing: sicab@shetland.org
CAB Across the Isles We continued to offer a programme of outreach sessions across Shetland with monthly visits to 9 health centres in rural and island areas – Unst, Yell, Whalsay, Hillswick, Brae, Walls, Bixter, Scalloway and Levenwick. 645 clients accessed support through our outreach service in local health centres
11%
12.5%
NORTH ISLES Unst, Yell, Fetlar, Whalsay and Skerries
NORTH MAINLAND
Analysis of our statistics shows that the CAB service was accessed by folk from across the isles: The top issues advised on in all areas were benefits; money and debt; and energy.
9%
13%
WEST MAINLAND, FOULA AND PAPA STOUR
CENTRAL MAINLAND
42.5%
CLIENT QUOTES
LERWICK
“I’ve seen lots of your staff and they were all so kind and helpful. I have great difficulty hearing and I dread using the phone. Your staff made phone calls for me and now everything is sorted. It’s such a relief.”
Our team of
26 volunteers - generalist advisers, benefits support workers, social policy coordinator, admin assistant and board members – come from across the isles:
“Thank you for your help with this matter. I could not have got this far without it. I hope for a satisfactory outcome” “Many thanks for your advice on filling out an Attendance Allowance claim form for my mother. She has been awarded the higher rate, backdated to May. Your help is very much appreciated” “Thank you very much for all your help coming along so quickly. Taken a weight off my mind and reduced the stress and anxiety no end.” 7
Annual Report 2019-20
12%
SOUTH MAINLAND AND FAIR ISLE
1 North Isles 3 North Mainland 9 West Mainland 1 Central Mainland 6 Lerwick 6 South Mainland
The Impact of Advice: Case Studies Supporting families
Increasing income and tackling debt
Client is a single parent of 2 children. Her youngest child has health problems and disabilities.
Client was referred to the Bureau by the Job Centre for assistance with her debts and to receive budgeting support. She is in her 30’s, single and lives in Council rented property. She has mental and physical health issues and is unable to work. She had over £8,000 in debts and her only income was benefits.
This child had previously been awarded the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), but following a review, this had been reduced to standard rate by the DWP. The client felt that her child’s difficulties with mobility had increased rather than decreased. She did not feel this was a correct decision. As well as the financial loss to the family, the decision meant that she had to give back their Motability car. The Benefits Adviser gathered information from the client and submitted a “mandatory reconsideration” to the DWP. This was unsuccessful so the Benefits Adviser completed a full appeal of the award, culminating in a Benefits Tribunal. Following this tribunal, the DWP decision was over-turned and enhanced rate mobility component was reinstated for the child. The family received a backdated payment of £1,082 and the child’s weekly DLA mobility component has more than doubled from £23.60 to £62.25. The client was also able to get the car back from the Motability scheme. This has had a huge positive impact on their family life, as without the car, they were quite socially isolated and the client had started to become depressed.
1868 clients supported
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Annual Report 2019-20
While checking her benefits, the Money Adviser noted that the client was not receiving the Severe Disability Premium (SDP) to which she was entitled. With the client present, the Money Adviser made a telephone application for the SDP to the DWP and asked for it to be backdated to when the client was first eligible (which was when she started receiving a disability benefit) in 2012. The client had over £1,000 in electricity debt. The Money Adviser applied to the energy company’s Priority Assistance Fund (PAF) for a grant to pay off this debt. The Money Adviser checked all the client’s other debts and wrote to the creditors advising CAB were involved. Client was awarded and received £1,282 from PAF which cleared her electricity account arrears. She was also awarded and received £18,853 in backdated SDP from the DWP. Thanks to this additional income, the client was able to pay off all her other debts in full, including a substantial amount to her parents. The client says her mental health has improved considerably and she is managing her money much better. Her weekly income has increased from £229.80 to £295.65.
£2,179,551 client financial gain
Achieving affordable Warmth Client contacted the Bureau as she was experiencing financial difficulties and was struggling with her energy and housing costs. She is a pensioner and her only income was the State Pension and a small amount of housing benefit and council tax reduction. She was sent a Benefit Check form to complete to see if she had any further benefit entitlement. Client brought her completed Benefit Check to the Energy Adviser at one of the bureau’s outreach sessions. It was evident to the adviser that the client had mobility issues and she confirmed that she suffered with osteo-arthritis which impacted on her daily life. The adviser gave her information about Attendance Allowance (AA) and a home visit was arranged to help the client fill in the application. The client’s Benefit Check showed an entitlement to Pension Credit. At the home visit, the client was helped with an application for both Attendance Allowance and Pension Credit. She was also advised on the best way to be using her electric storage heaters. The client was awarded AA at the lower rate and Pension Credit. The awarding of these benefits meant the client was now entitled to apply for a Severe Disability Premium (SDP). Another home visit to the client was arranged to do this application. As she was now in receipt of Pension Credit, she was also helped to access a Warm Home Discount from the energy company and to register for the Priority Services Register which gives extra support for vulnerable energy customers. The adviser helped the client to let the local authority know about the change in her circumstances and the council awarded her full Housing Benefit and full Council Tax reduction so that all her housing costs were now covered. Finally the client was helped to get a Blue Badge parking permit to let her park nearer to where she’s going. As a result of the Energy Adviser’s support, the client’s income has doubled and her spending has reduced. Her increased income means she is able to keep her home warmer and to budget for care costs, without worrying about whether she can afford it.
366 home visits
Links between debt and health Client is a single parent of two teenagers and lives in Council rented property. She first came to the Bureau three years ago with multiple debts but due to her poor mental health didn’t feel able to engage at the time. During these 3 years, she had been in touch periodically with CAB but it wasn’t until 2019, when things had escalated to court papers being received, that the client felt she had to deal with her money problems. She had reduced her working hours from full-time to part-time but even this had been too much for her and she was now off sick. She had resorted to taking out payday loans to make ends meet. The Money Adviser worked slowly and carefully with the client helping her to find details of all the debts she had. This involved working through credit reports and creditor letters that the client hadn’t felt able to open. The client was shocked to find out that she owed just shy of £40,000 to over 20 creditors. Once all the information was gathered, the Money Adviser went through the options available and client decided that bankruptcy was the only real option at the time and would give her the fresh start that she needed despite the consequences of being bankrupt. The Money Adviser helped the client through the bankruptcy application process and assisted her to provide the supporting evidence required. The client was awarded bankruptcy and all her debts were written off. The client’s mental health has improved considerably and she is back at work. She is feeling much more in control and managing her money well.
6,377 issues advised on 9
Annual Report 2019-20
Income and expenditure account 31 March 2020 2020
2019
£
£
360,927
292,735
99,677
89,659
1,138
1,692
461,742
384,086
420,120
385,421
41,622
(1,335)
INCOME Grant income ESF funding Other income
EXPENDITURE Charitable activities
INCREASE/ (DECREASE) IN FUNDS
Balance sheet 31 March 2020 2020 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors Cash at bank and in hand
£
2019
£
£
78,133
39,221
178,389
184,010
256,522
223,231
(13,420)
(21,751)
£
CREDITORS Amounts falling due within one year
243,102
201,480
70,195
51,102
Unrestricted funds
172,907
150,378
TOTAL FUNDS
243,102
201,480
NET CURRENT ASSETS REPRESENTED BY Restricted funds
The figures contained within the income and expenditure account and the balance sheet shown above were extracted from the charity’s financial statements. These were approved by the board of directors on 15 September 2020.. A copy of the charity’s financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2020 can be obtained from our main office or by writing to the following address: Companies House, 4th Floor, Edinburgh Quay 2, 139 Fountainbridge, Edinburgh EH3 9FF (quoting ref SC176817)
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Annual Report 2019-20
Directors Fiona Robertson Chair Sue Beer Vice Chair Richard Lewis Treasurer
Lucy Flaws (from August 2019) Karen Fraser Jeff Gaskell (from November 2019) Maggie Gemmill (resigned July 2019) Stewart Hay (resigned July 2019) David Marsh Gordon Mitchell Linda Nicholson (from August 2019) Gordon Silver
Volunteers and Paid Staff Generalist Advisers Jenny Anderson, Marek Barecki, Andy Carter, Malcolm Ferguson, Margaret Fiddy, Christabel Garrick, Rosalind Griffiths, Mali Hevamanage, Sue Hinton, Louis Keogh, Grizel McGregor, Mairi Macdonald, Eleanor Pottinger, Nancy Queally, Elizabeth Williamson, Helen Wilson, Allan Wishart
Welfare Rights Advisers Gail Finnie, Peter Goodlad (resigned April 2020), Nancy Queally
Senior Adviser/Money Adviser Vivienne Tulloch
Pension Guide Isla McGhee
Session Supervisor/ Assistant Manager Paula Dunn
Patient Support Adviser Philomena Leask
Outreach Advisers Philomena Leask, Ros Owen
Energy Advisers Janice Hawick, Elliot Tait Community Engagement Officer Isa Kristiansen-Bragg
Administrative Assistant Alexis Robertson Bureau Manager Karen Eunson
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Annual Report 2019-20
Shetland Shetland Islands Islands Citizens Citizens Advice Advice Bureau Bureau
FREE IMPARTIAL INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT
CONFIDENTIAL MARKET MARKET HOUSE, HOUSE, 14 14 MARKET MARKET STREET STREET T TE EL L :: EMAIL: EMAIL: SICAB@SHETLAND.ORG SICAB@SHETLAND.ORG
A charitable company limited by guarantee A charitable by guarantee registered incompany Scotland limited No. 176817 registered No.House, 17681714 Market Street, Registeredin O Scotland ce Market Registered O ce Market House, 14 Market Street, Lerwick, Shetland, ZE1 0JP Lerwick, 0JPEunson (Manager) CompanyShetland, SecretaryZE1 Karen Company Secretary KarenRevenue Eunson (Manager) Recognised by the Inland as Recognised by theNo. Inland Revenue as a Scottish Charity SC01978 a Scottish Charity No. SC01978
Drop In Advice Hours PhoneOpening for advice Drop In Advice Opening Hours
01595 694696
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