Careless driving puts innocent people’s lives at risk. In 2011 excess speed contributed to 213 deaths and using a mobile phone while driving contributed to 374 road casualties. After consultation, in August 2013 the Government introduced some new offences and made some changes to existing penalties, most of which had not been reviewed since 2000. […]
Bernard Manning claimed that the bigotry of which he was sometimes accused did not reflect his real character. Whatever the truth, there is no denying his wit. In the interests of a low cost Christmas he once provided batteries for his children as gifts, each with a card which read ‘Toys Not Included’. By the […]
Stating the obvious. Most of the people who volunteer for Citizens Advice do so because they want to help people – by giving advice (the name is a bit of a giveaway). I joined Citizens Advice to work on Social Policy. This is the bit of Citizens Advice which is not as well known by […]
Speaking at this year’s Conservative party conference, David Cameron said that profit will never be “a dirty and elitist word” under his administration. Fair enough. It is reasonable to expect that a company making a profit will provide the best service. ATOS is a French company appointed by the government to carry out what […]
Someone once observed that if all the cars in this country were placed end to end it would probably be a Bank Holiday weekend. As many as 7 million of them would have been bought and sold second-hand during 2012. Buying a second-hand car can be a risky business although it doesn’t have to […]
Miss Piggy once said “Never eat more than you can lift. ” Regrettably this is not a problem that many people on low incomes face today. In April, the UK’s leading foodbank charity, the Trussell Trust, said they had seen the biggest rise in numbers given emergency food since the charity began in 2000. Almost […]
The rules for challenging or appealing against a benefit decision for most benefits paid by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) changed on 28 October 2013. The new rules already apply to Universal Credit (UC) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP). What’s changed? If you disagree with a decision about your benefit that is dated […]
Whether you live in an old house or a new one, are a tenant or a homeowner you may well feel that it is becoming more and more of a financial burden. Rent or mortgage repayments, Council Tax and heating and lighting bills all mount up to form a significant part of what we spend. […]
What has your local CAB done for you? More than you might think. Most people would associate Citizens Advice with providing advice which is free, impartial, independent and confidential. We also take action to address the issues which give rise to the difficulties experienced by our clients. All of us are affected by policies […]