Shetland Islands Citizens Advice Bureau
Annual Report 2020-2021
Introduction from the Chair Welcome to this annual report summarising the achievements of Shetland Islands Citizens Advice Bureau in 2020/21. Well what a year 2020 proved to be. It is not one any of us is likely to forget. The impact on day-to-day living of those we aim to support in our communities was unprecedented. This too had a knock-on effect for staff and volunteers, who following Covid 19 restrictions found themselves working from home from Lerwick to Vidlin; Eshaness to Scalloway and in many other communities through-out Shetland. Through hard work, dedication and a good measure of resilience, our service continued with staff and volunteers supporting 1,525 people with 8,279 issues. Whilst we were not able to reach everyone who needed our assistance due to the Covid 19 restrictions, 54% of clients were new to the service. This reflects the on-going need for the service and the benefits it can bring to the people who contact us. Through specialist money and benefits advisers, clients were supported with over 4,000 issues. This resulted, for many, in a direct financial gain by accessing benefits they are entitled to, or through resolving debt issues. The total financial gain for our clients was over £1.3 million. The positive impact of maximising household income, resolving debts and disputes for an individual’s wellbeing and financial stability is significant. 92% of our clients indicated that they felt that the advice provided helped sort out their problems and made a difference in their lives. The issues and advice sought by clients is varied, ranging from benefits, rent arrears, consumer and employment issues to utility providers. In recent years, Shetland CAB has developed specialist energy advice as a means of tackling the issue of fuel poverty in Shetland. In partnership with the Council, Home Energy Scotland and Hjaltland 2
Annual Report 2020-21
Housing Association, we work to minimise the negative impact of fuel poverty. In 2020/21, 257 clients accessed our specialist energy advice and received help to reduce their energy bills. 79 people were supported to access Warm Home Discount, 57 were referred for energy efficiency measures, 61 received help through fuel vouchers and 16 people had fuel debt written off. The challenge for the coming year will be adapting and re-designing the service as the Covid 19 restrictions are eased to re-incorporate face-toface contact where needed, but also retain some of the new working practices that have proved positive. We will continue with our key aim of providing high quality advice to meet the needs of those in our community. In 2020, we achieved re-accreditation under the Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers as well as achieving full compliance in an audit by Citizens Advice Scotland. Partnership working also plays a significant part in ensuring we are able to meet the needs of the people of Shetland and to identify the emerging trends and solutions to these. The funding we receive is vital in enabling us to continue to provide the services we do and I would like to pay particular thanks to the Shetland Charitable Trust, Shetland Islands Council, Citizens Advice Scotland, the Climate Challenge Fund and the Energy Savings Trust. Lastly, I would like to thank the staff and volunteers for their incredible dedication to the work of Shetland CAB in this turbulent year and thank them for the difference they make in supporting and improving the lives of people in Shetland. Fiona Robertson Chair
2020/21 Our year in numbers We supported
1,525 individual clients
825 of whom were new to the service.
51%
40%
by phone
by email
All of our advice was delivered remotely We had
5,653 contacts with clients
8%
1%
by letter
social media and video conferencing
We advised on 5,716 issues 8.5% 62% 11% Benefits
Debt / Financial Utilities and Products & Services / Tax Communication
£1,327,349 financial gain was achieved for
390
clients supported by CAB This included
£1,256,085
5% Employment 3% Legal 2.5% Housing 2% Relationship 2% Immigration
The CAB service was accessed by folk from across the isles
14% NORTH MAINLAND
9%
WEST MAINLAND, FOULA AND PAPA STOUR
10,000+ Hours donated by our volunteers
= £87,000+ 3
At Annual the National Living Wage Report 2020-21
11%
NORTH ISLES Unst, Yell, Fetlar, Whalsay and Skerries
15% CENTRAL MAINLAND
gained through successful benefit applications, appeals and back payments
1.5% Consumer 1% Health & Community Care 1% Travel & Transport 0.5% Discrimination, Education, NHS
12%
SOUTH MAINLAND AND FAIR ISLE
39% LERWICK
84 £558,609 People assisted with debt
total debt we helped clients with
£6,650
Average debt per client
Volunteering Voice Malcolm Ferguson Covid-19 pulled the rug from under our feet and our lives were altered in an instant. No more shopping, swimming, seeing family and friends, or going on holiday… or even volunteering for the CAB! Lockdown on 23rd March 2020 meant that I was unable to carry on with my twice-weekly volunteering sessions from the office. Bereft! It did not take very long before the framework for remote working was in place but at first, and obviously most importantly, it was the full time staff who were involved; the volunteers had nothing to do. I let Karen, the CAB Manager, know that I should like to continue volunteering in some form and she arranged to provide me with a laptop and access to the CAB systems. At first there were just two of us, but as the new protocols became established, more volunteers were able to work remotely using equipment provided by the Bureau. The amount of work involved in setting up this new remote network of full-time staff and volunteers was huge but it meant that we could continue to work well providing help and advice where it was needed.
I am grateful for the opportunity to make a contribution and help people even during the tightest phases of lockdown.
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Annual Report 2020-21
For me, there is no more face-to-face advising and all my volunteering is now done by phone or email, clients being allocated to volunteers like myself by Paula, the Assistant Manager. All the staff at CAB have been very supportive throughout and encouraged me to take on some of the more complicated cases. This has been challenging but very rewarding. There has been no shortage of things to do, some of it arising from Covid, and I find now that I am now working more – and I hope as effectively – than I did when going into the office. I am grateful for the opportunity to make a contribution and help people even during the tightest phases of lockdown. Is this how it will be going forward? Who knows? I do think working remotely might mean that more people are able to volunteer, and that would be a good thing… but I do miss the camaraderie of the office. Now I even have to make my own tea!
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 • Volunteer in the bureau or from your own home No special skills or knowledge needed. You will just need good communication skills and to be able to use the internet, email and Word. 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
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Annual Report 2020-21
Keeping the CAB service open during the pandemic Shetland Citizens Advice Bureau has remained open for service throughout the pandemic but the service has had to be delivered in a very different way.
During 2020/21, all advice was delivered remotely, mostly by phone and email. CAB was able to save money in some areas (eg travel expenses) and invested more in others, including marketing to make sure that local people knew how to access help. We introduced remote advice clinics delivered by Zoom and also participated in the pilot for delivering advice through NearMe video conferencing software, the same system being used for medical appointments by the NHS.
There has been no crowded waiting room at CAB drop-in sessions; no home visits to elderly and disabled clients across the isles; no regular outreach sessions in local health centres from Unst to Levenwick; no energy advice events in local halls...
Paid staff and volunteers have had to learn new systems “on the job”. This has been a year of learning not just in digital skills but with advisers needing to keep updated on rapidly changing advice developments – often we were being asked for advice on questions to which the answer had not yet been written! Providers such as the Child Poverty Action Group, ACAS and Citizens Advice Scotland put their training online and this opened up access for many more advisers to attend.
Instead, paid staff have been delivering advice from home by phone and email since 23 March 2020, and we are very thankful for the support we have had from the SIC IT service which has enabled us to do this. Unfortunately, we were not able to involve our volunteers straightaway. Provision of IT and phones for volunteer advisers was a challenge but the bureau was able to secure additional COVID-related funding to equip them with laptops and internet phoning.
Client Quotes
CAB volunteers carried out a client survey of everyone who accessed the service in August 2020 with very positive results: 94% of clients had found it easy to access advice, 92% were satisfied that the advice provided had helped them to sort out their problems, and 99% would recommend the service to others. However we are concerned about the people who have found it more difficult to access advice during the pandemic, including isolated older people, those with no or limited digital skills/ access, and those who found it easier to come to drop-in sessions in Lerwick and in rural communities. To reach more vulnerable people, CAB has worked with partners to further develop referral pathways and has co-delivered a regular programme of Money Worries awareness-raising training. In 2021/22, CAB plans to continue using the remote delivery methods which have worked well for clients over the last year but will also build back in face-to-face advice for those who require it and work towards reestablishing outreach and home visit services
“A couple of years ago one of your team came and did an assessment for us to help identify ways to save energy … and after his advice, we managed to get a loan for an air source heat pump (now installed). We have insulated the house (it’s now too hot even with the heating off!), and swapped to LED lighting throughout.” “Thanks to you, the sky looks blue. I wanted to give up, but you said no. For that I am grateful. Because I am so disorganised it must have been a real handful. I just hope that your colleagues and your good self can see that the help you give to people like me who feel like they are just lost at sea. We are all truly grateful all the work you did and I never even seen you!” “I am writing this to express my most profound gratefulness to your dealing with my deepest worries … What a relief it was … Thank you once more from the bottom of my heart.” “Thank you very much for your explanation and excellent attention … for your efficiency and professionalism!”
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Annual Report 2020-21
The Impact of Advice: Case Studies Dealing with debt A woman in her 40s came to CAB as she was struggling financially following a relationship breakdown. She was extremely stressed about her debts and was being constantly harassed by creditors. She was recently separated with 3 children, employed full time and living in social housing. She had catalogue debts and problems with her electricity account. She wasn’t sure if her electricity bills were correct and wasn’t managing to pay her catalogues on time so she was incurring late payment charges. The Money Adviser carried out a benefit check to see if the family would be entitled to any benefits and prepared a Financial Statement based on the client’s income and expenditure information. The Money Adviser checked the family’s electricity bills and found them to be correct. The client had recently switched energy supplier but she had a debt of £420 with her previous supplier. The Money Adviser phoned her previous electricity supplier and negotiated for the client to pay back this debt over the next 12 months. The Financial Statement showed that after all income and expenditure was taken into account the client had some free income each month with which to make affordable offers of repayment for her catalogue debts. The Money Adviser negotiated a repayment plan with the client’s 3 creditors and was successful in getting all interest and charges stopped for the duration of the plan meaning that all the money the client was paying was going towards the debt and not being eaten up by interest and charges. The Money Adviser advised the client to set up direct debits for agreed payments which would make sure payments were made regularly and on time. The creditors agreed to a repayment plan for an initial period of 12 months. At this point, the Money Adviser will contact the client again to carry out a case review. It is hoped that she will have paid off the electricity arrears by then so 8
Annual Report 2020-21
that she will be able to increase the repayments for her catalogue debts. This will reduce the time it will take to pay off the debts in full. Client is very relieved that her payments are affordable. She is no longer being chased by creditors and she feels her debt is manageable. Stress has been reduced for the whole family.
Extra support for families Mother contacted CAB to see if she might be entitled to any extra financial help as she has a child with significant health problems who requires hospital treatment on the mainland. Mother is a single parent with 3 school-aged children and no family support in Shetland. The CAB Benefits Adviser completed a full benefit check to check that the family were receiving all the help they were entitled to. Client was in receipt of standard allowance Universal Credit and receiving the elements for children and housing. The adviser supported the client to make an application for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for her child. This involved gathering medical evidence and completing the DWP application form. DLA was awarded for “middle rate care” resulting in an additional weekly payment of £58.70. Once DLA was awarded for her eldest child, client was also awarded Disabled Child and Carers elements in her Universal Credit and this increased the family income by a further £291.17 per month. With her child in receipt of DLA, client was also able to make a successful application for Carers Allowance which triggered payment of the Scottish Carer’s Allowance Supplement of £442 per annum. She was also able to move to the “no work related activity group” category for Universal Credit. This means she does not need to meet job-seeking requirements and this has reduced another source of pressure for her. As a result of CAB advice, this family have increased their income and the whole family’s well-being has improved as a result.
5,716 issues advised on
Estimated bills and poor customer service Client who is in his 80s contacted CAB in September 2020. He had received a bill for £3,700 from his energy supplier in August 2020. The energy supplier had not given any indication to the client why the bill was so high. Client had sent a cheque to the energy supplier for the required amount and had not queried the estimated bill. Client had done this due to his dislike of being in debt. Client then received a letter from the supplier saying that there had been an overpayment on the account. Client at this point got in touch with CAB as he did not understand what was going on. The CAB Energy Adviser was able to establish that the bill for £3,700 was due to the energy supplier excessively over-estimating energy usage by the client. The Energy Adviser contacted the supplier to request the funds be sent back to the client. The supplier said that a cheque would be sent to the client for £3,700. However the client then received a letter from the supplier saying that the cheque they had sent to the client was being cancelled. The client did not understand why this had happened and contacted CAB. The Energy Adviser again contacted the supplier who said the reason the cheque was cancelled was that there were two names on the energy account. The supplier said they could not make a cheque payable to two people. The Energy Adviser was able to explain that the other name on the account was the client’s deceased wife who was then removed from the account. The client was expecting another cheque to be sent out at this point but instead got a bill from the supplier saying that the client was £3,400 in credit and that the amount of energy used since August had been deducted from the account. The client contacted CAB again and also decided to speak to local MSP regarding the issue. The Energy Adviser contacted the supplier again and spoke to a senior advisor there. The supplier agreed to apologise to the client by letter, send money back to client’s account and give client £100 as a goodwill gesture. Client felt that he had been given the run-around by his supplier and was very happy with support given by CAB which resulted in him receiving a full refund and an additional £100 as a goodwill gesture. The client now knows not to accept estimated bills but to submit up to date meter readings so that his bills are accurate.
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Annual Report 2020-21
1,525 clients supported
Tackling Energy Debt CAB supported a parent living with three children in local authority housing who did not have the option to change their heating system. They had an energy debt of around £1300 and were in receipt of both health-related and means-tested benefits. They had put in place Fuel Direct payments, the government scheme enabling individuals to pay off energy debt directly from benefits. The client was struggling financially and felt as if they couldn’t cope with the situation. The CAB Energy Advisor was able to secure £1300 funding for the client through the Home Heating Advice fund, which wrote off the debt owed. The client has now set up a direct debit to their energy supplier to help avoid further debt and has received advice on minimising energy use at home.
£1,327,349 client financial gain
Income and expenditure account 31 March 2021 2021
2020
£
£
414,738
360,927
77,901
99,677
599
1,138
493,238
461,742
455,065
420,120
38,173
41,622
INCOME Grant income ESF funding Other income
EXPENDITURE Charitable activities
INCREASE IN FUNDS
Balance sheet 31 March 2021 2021 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors Cash at bank and in hand
£
2020
£
£
57,760
78,133
238,000
178,389
295,760
256,522
(14,485)
(13,420)
£
CREDITORS Amounts falling due within one year
281,275
243,102
79,718
70,195
Unrestricted funds
201,557
172,907
TOTAL FUNDS
281,275
243,102
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 20 July 2021. A copy of the charity’s financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2021 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 2020-21
Directors Fiona Robertson Chair Sue Beer Vice Chair Richard Lewis Treasurer
Lucy Flaws Karen Fraser Jeff Gaskell David Marsh Gordon Mitchell Linda Nicholson Gordon Silver
Volunteers and Paid Staff During 2020, the following volunteers “retired” from Shetland CAB – we thank them for their many years of service: Andy Carter, Rosalind Griffiths, Mali Hevamanage, Sue Hinton and Grizel McGregor Generalist Advisers Jenny Anderson, Malcolm Ferguson, Margaret Fiddy, Christabel Garrick, Louis Keogh, Mairi Macdonald, Eleanor Pottinger, Elizabeth Williamson, Helen Wilson, Allan Wishart Senior Adviser/Money Adviser Vivienne Tulloch Session Supervisor/ Assistant Manager Paula Dunn
Outreach Adviser/ Patient Support Adviser Philomena Leask Welfare Rights Advisers Gail Finnie, Nancy Queally, Ros Owen Energy Advisers Janice Hawick, Elliot Tait, Ros Owen Community Engagement Officer Isa Kristiansen-Bragg Pension Guide Isla McGhee EU Settled Status Adviser Marek Barecki Administrative Assistant Alexis Robertson Bureau Manager Karen Eunson
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Annual Report 2020-21
TEL: EMAIL: SICAB@SHETLAND.ORG
Lerwick, S Company Recognise a Scottish
Shetland Islands Citizens Advice Bureau Shetland Islands Islands CitizensCitizens Advice Advice Bureau Bur Shetland
IMPARTIAL FREE IMPARTIA FREE INDEPENDENT Drop In Advice Opening Hours
IN D ED PEN ED N ET N MONDAY IN P ED N
CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIA TUESDAY
A charitable company limitedby by guarantee guarantee A charitable company limited WEDNESDAY MARKET HOUSE, MARKET STREET Market House, 1414 Market Street A charitable limited by guarantee registered incompany Scotland No. 176817 A 176817 charitable company limited by gua registered in Scotland No. MARKET HOUSE, 14 MARKET STREET MARKET HOUSE, 14 MARKET STREET registered No. 17681714inMarket Registeredin O Scotland ce Market House, Street, registered Scotland No. 176817
Registered Office Market House, Market Street, Lerwick, Shetland ZE1 0JP Registered O ce Market House, 14 14 O Market Street, Lerwick, Shetland, ZE1 0JP Registered ce Market House, 14 M Lerwick, Shetland, ZE1 0JP Lerwick, Shetland, ZE1 0JP Company Secretary Karen Eunson (Manager) Lerwick, Shetland, ZE1 0JP THURSDAY T E L : TEL: Company Secretary Karen EunsonSecretary (Manager) T E L : 01595 694696 Company Secretary Eunson (Manager) Recognised by theKaren Inland Revenue as Company Karen Eunson (M TEL: Recognised by theNo. Inland Revenue as a Scottishby Charity SC01978 Recognised by the Inland Revenue as EMAIL: SICAB@SHETLAND.ORG Recognised the Inland Revenue as a EMAIL: sicab@shetland.org a Scottish Charity No. SC01978 EMAIL: SICAB@SHETLAND.ORG a Scottish Charity No. SC01978 EMAIL: SICAB@SHETLAND.ORG
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Scottish Charity No. SC019785 FSA Registration Number 617481
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