Health and Wellbeing Partnership Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau Charity Number SCO30477 Company Limited by Guarantee SC2311152 presentation to Health and Wellbeing Partnership by Gillian McInnes, Bureau Manager, ABCAB Independent charity

Argyll and Bute CAB (ABCAB) - established in 2002 Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau Argyll and Bute CAB (ABCAB) - established in 2002 Independent Charity & Company Limited by Guarantee Audited by Citizens Advice Scotland Registered with the Financial Conduct Authority Accredited by Money Advice Service Three offices - Lochgilphead, Helensburgh and Dunoon (opened in Feb 2016) Clients can have face-to-face interviews with advisers or phone or email their enquiry to us. Outreach - Oban and Campbeltown in Job Centre Plus offices. Oban JCP use our office in Lochgilphead to save Mid Argyll residents having to go to Oban. Part of the Citizens Advice network of 63 bureaux

10 x Generalist Adviser Volunteers 3 x Admin Volunteers Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau ABCAB currently has: 14 x paid staff 10 x Generalist Adviser Volunteers 3 x Admin Volunteers 8 x Trainee Generalist Adviser Volunteers Part of the Citizens Advice network of 63 bureaux

All CAB’s have a twin aim: Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau All CAB’s have a twin aim: To ensure individuals do not suffer through ignorance of their rights and responsibilities or of the services available; or through an inability to express their needs. To exercise a responsible influence on the development of social policies and services both locally and nationally.

Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau We use the ABAN on-line referral system to make and receive referrals to specialist organisations such as ALIenergy for home energy advice. www.argyllandbuteadvice.net

8,418 issues £1.2 million in client financial gain Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau In 2015 / 16 we helped people with 8,418 issues 38% of these were for debt 25% of these were for benefits £1.2 million in client financial gain Saved at least 70 households from becoming homeless (saving the Council approx £1.5 million each year) Brought in over £400,000 in grants to deliver specialist services (rising to over half a million in 2017/18) Only thing missing from this picture is pension wise

Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau The main conclusion of the study is that people in rural areas have to spend proportionately more on transport and goods and are less frequently provided with services than their urban counterparts. For people on low incomes, this has negative effects aggravating the experience of poverty and reducing available income significantly. The Experience of Rural Poverty in Scotland The Scottish Government

Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau “… households in remote rural Scotland require significantly higher incomes to attain the same minimum living standard as those living elsewhere in the UK.” This research was carried out by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. A Minimum Income Standard – for remote rural Scotland. Highlands and Islands Enterprise 2013

Cost of food compared to English rural towns Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau Cost of food compared to English rural towns Community type in remote rural Scotland Shopping Pattern Additional Cost – couple plus 2 children Town Supermarket +10% Accessible Settlement – within 1 – 1.5 hours of town, no ferry Weekly supermarket in rural town, small local top-up +12% Inaccessible mainland settlement Monthly supermarket in larger town/city, larger local top-ups +14% Inaccessible island settlement, within 2 – 2.5 hours of town (inc. ferry) Monthly supermarket shop in small town, larger local top-ups +20% Island settlement remote from town Local convenience store, or small branch of co-op +56%

Rural poverty and disadvantage: falling between the cracks? Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau Rural poverty and disadvantage: falling between the cracks? Rural poverty and disadvantage are characterised by: low incomes (seasonal, short-term and minimum wage employment); fuel poverty (old housing stock and off-grid and ); and difficulties in accessing services (health, social care, employment, training, education, retail). Rural poverty appears to fall through the policy and strategy gaps: National policy is not sufficiently sensitised to rural issues. Rural strategies do not consistently highlight poverty or how to address it. The Rural Scotland in Poverty 2014 report Rural Policy Centre

Living at the Sharp End – Citizens Advice Scotland 2016 Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau Living at the Sharp End – Citizens Advice Scotland 2016 Advice relating to foodbanks has increased by 47% within the last 3 years. Demand for advice on Crisis Grants increased by 58% within the last 3 years. More than one third of those needing advice about food parcels are unable to work due to ill health and more than one third have a disability. Almost two thirds of survey respondents said they sometimes cut down on gas and electricity and 71% said they sometimes cut down on food. Increasing number of CAB clients are struggling to keep up with priority payments and are falling into arrears: the proportion of debt-related advice being sought in relation to rent arrears in 2014/2015 was a third higher (34%) than it had been in 2013/2014.

Living at the Sharp End – Citizens Advice Scotland 2016 Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau Living at the Sharp End – Citizens Advice Scotland 2016 Over 50% of the survey respondents said that money worries have an impact on physical health. 64% said it had an impact on their mental health. Recent changes to the benefits system, benefit rates not keeping pace with inflation, low pay, insecure work and rising costs of living all contribute to people’s increasing lack of resilience to income shocks. Government and local authority debt-collection practices, including third party deductions from benefit payments are contributing towards income deprivation and the need for crisis assistance.

Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau

Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau

Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau

Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau

Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau In 2015 / 16

Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau

The positive effect on the family is tangible with Case Study A young family in Dunoon were struggling to work and look after their child with disabilities. The clients came to the project very stressed with multiple problems. The CAB Money Adviser did a benefits check and an analysis of the financial impact of working different hours. It was decided that continuing to work but reducing hours while claiming Carers Allowance would be the best outcome and we assisted with the application form. The clients also had debt issues and were referred internally to one of the CAB Debt Advisers who negotiated with the clients and the landlord over arrears repayments thereby protecting the family from impending eviction action. Other debts are being worked on, however, a grant was obtained from an energy fund which has cleared the household fuel debts. The clients were also assisted to use the complaints process to dispute an issue with their landlord over alleged damage. The offer was made to the clients to represent them but they felt empowered by our support and were able to do this themselves which is a really good outcome. Overall the benefits and debt work has resulted in a client financial gain of over £14,000 this year and hopefully a much more stable financial future. The positive effect on the family is tangible with the family having less stress, more time together and Mum and Dad now considering training courses to enable them to get better paid work in the future.

Argyll and Bute Citizens Advice Bureau Happy to take any questions but if you would like to contact me at any time here are my contact details: Liz Miller, PA to Bureau Manager (Gillian McInnes) Riverside, Oban Road, Lochgilphead PA31 9NG Tel 01546 605550 E-mail gillian.mcinnes@abcab.casonline.org.uk Website www.argyllandbutecab.org.uk