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ADVICE FOR LIVING

In addition to the normal run of enquiries dealt with by Volunteers, the Bureau provides a number of Specialist Advice Services for clients:

Debt

A major part of debt work is to ensure clients budget effectively, maintain payments to their priority creditors to avoid eviction or bailiff action and to make regular, affordable payments to secondary creditors.
 
The  Bureaux also help clients with bankruptcy petitions and Debt Relief Orders (DROs). Some clients qualify for this form of debt relief against specific criteria. Two of CAB in Swale’s debt advisors are qualified as intermediaries and are able to assist clients with DROs. Some 24 were completed during the year.

During the year 600 new debt cases were opened to assist clients with a total indebtedness of £9.415 million.  Of this £196,461 was Council Tax arrears, £171,766 was rent arrears and £987,340 was mortgage arrears.

The Legal Services Commission fund two part-time Debt Caseworkers who handled 202 new cases during the year. This contract was renewed for 3 years from november 2010 and allows for 300 new cases each year.

 

The BIS Financial Inclusion Fund, in partnership with Citizens Advice, funds two full time debt caseworkers. One of these caseworkers works half-time for other Bureau in East Kent.  These caseworkers opened cases for 382 new clients in the financial year. This contract mainly provides advice to  financially excluded clients who do not qualify for legal help.

From August 2010 we have received further funding to provide debt advice; from Swale Borough Council to see clients of the Housing Options Team at Swale Borough Council’s offices. During 2010/11, 16 clients received debt advice via this funding.

DEREK'S DILEMMA

The Problem
The client was referred for debt advice with rent arrears of £1,770. The Housing Association had arranged a court hearing for repossession but had agreed to adjourn it while we helped the client with his debt problems. The client also had council tax arrears, water arrears, deductions from earnings and other benefit overpayments. Client suffered from long term depression and was off work sick when we saw him.

What the CAB did

  • We were able to arrange repayments of council tax, which avoided the debt being passed to the bailiff.
  • We also worked with his support worker to enable him to make an application to the Southern Water Trust for his water rate arrears to be renegotiated and to ensure he was receiving all the benefits to which he was entitled.
  • We also successfully negotiated repayments of arrears with his Housing Association and negotiated lower weekly payments towards his other benefit overpayments.

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Employment Cases

Two volunteers provide help to clients with Employment issues and Employment Tribunal cases.  The clients assisted in this way obtained in excess of £55,000 in Tribunal awards during the period.

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Faversham Casework

Faversham Town Council provide funding for casework in Faversham for clients who have multiple issues and require on-going support. These clients can be very time consuming and come from the most vulnerable sections of the community.  Without the funding received it would be difficult to devote the necessary time and effort that these clients need.  Between 20 and 30 clients each year are provided with casework and ongoing support as a result of this funding.

Mrs SMITH'S LOST APPLICATIONS

The Problem
Mrs Smith was nearing retirement age. She had not worked for two years due to mental illness. She failed a medical examination and her benefits stopped.

She signed on for Jobseeker’s Allowance but became increasingly stressed by her inability to find suitable work and the pressure of Jobcentreplus to attend inappropriate courses. As she felt unable to work she sought advice from Jobcentreplus and claimed Income Support/ Incapacity Benefit. She received no money for over two months and despite trying to find out what was happening both the client and CAB advisors were unable to get a clear explanation from DWP.

What the CAB did
The caseworker was able to identify what had gone wrong with the claiming process and made three separate appeals regarding Income Support and Incapacity Benefit. She pursued a complaint with the DWP following further problems with payment and delays in dealing with the appeals.

The DWP started to pay the benefit due to the client and once all the appeals had been resolved, all arrears due to the client were paid.

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Financial Capability Advice

The Nationwide Building Society fund Money Active, a project designed to offer financial advice to stop people getting into debt. The project, run by volunteers, offers group sessions on a fun basis but with a serious message. During this year, 182 clients attended 21 sessions. Funding has now been extended to March 2012.

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Housing Casework

Legal Service funded housing casework is now provided via a consortium arrangement with Medway District CAB who advise clients by appointment on Tuesday each week at our Sittingbourne Office. This service commenced in November 2010, and 23 clients were provided with housing advice under the previous Legal Services Commission contract between April and November 2010.

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Legal Rota

A legal rota staffed by local solicitors, Tassells, is run every other Thursday evening at Faversham CAB. This is a very valuable service for clients as they get 30 minutes of a solicitor’s time for free. We would like to record our appreciation and thanks to Tassells for continuing to provide this valuable service.

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Welfare Benefits

The Legal Services Commission fund three part time caseworkers who help qualifying clients appeal benefit decisions and make applications for disability benefits.

During 2010/11, 217 new cases were opened and clients were helped to gain first year benefits in excess of £450,000. This is a noteworthy achievement. The contract for welfare benefits casework was renewed for three years from November 2010 with an increased case load of up to 305 cases per annum.

These clients are on very low incomes and frequently have to cope with debilitating and life changing illnesses. The caseworkers' support and success on their behalf makes a real difference to their lives.

PAT'S APPEAL

The Problem
Pat had applied for Disability Living Allowance and received only the lower rate care component. Pat said that he had problems walking and looking after himself because of shortness of breath and pains in his lower back and legs. The DWP had asked his GP about the effects of his condition on his daily life. The GP had only provided a report about Pat’s medical condition.

What the CAB did
We helped Pat prepare an appeal and prepared a report for his Tribunal hearing. We told Pat that he must attend with his wife for both of them to give personal evidence about his daily life.

The Tribunal adjourned the hearing to obtain an independent doctor’s report and upon receipt of this report awarded Pat the middle rate care and higher rate mobility components. As a result his wife additionally qualified for Carer's Allowance.

Pat’s income increased by nearly £95 per week as a result of the increased award.

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Social Policy

CABs are very well placed to see how policies are affecting ordinary people.  All advisors are trained to identify and report social policy matters.  This information is fed back to the national organisation by two Social Policy co-ordinators who collect evidence from all CABs to produce Evidence Reports and to campaign for change.

CAB in Swale is also involved with the N W Kent cluster group which looks at local issues and works to influence decision making at a local level.

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