Our latest Newsletter is out click here to read
Citizens Advice South Hams seek a new Trustee
Citizens Advice South Hams plays a vital role in our local community providing free, independent and impartial advice to clients on issues such as debt, benefits, fuel poverty, housing and employment. Our trustees ensure that the charity is well managed and that resources are utilised effectively and appropriately. Trustees devote time, commitment and experience to carry out this voluntary role, …
Local Charity Championing Big Energy Savings Week
“Check, Switch, Save” is the message from Citizens Advice South Hams as it prepares for its annual energy awareness campaign, which this year starts with Big Energy Saving Week (BESW) on January 21st and runs through to Fuel Poverty Awareness Day on Feb 15th. Citizens Advice is the statutory consumer champion for energy and is leading the campaign to make …
Family Law team and local charity offer help for families who want to separate
As the Christmas decorations are put away, sadly lots of couples are considering separation and divorce. The Ministry of Justice has revealed that hundreds of applications were lodged between Christmas and New Year’s Day, some were even lodged on Christmas Day. In the absence of legal aid for most cases, there has been an increase in the number of people …
Focus on – Marriage Allowance
Lots of couples aren’t claiming Marriage Allowance, a tax benefit which enables married or civil partners to transfer a proportion of their personal allowance between them. It’s estimated by HMRC that a million couples who are eligible for this tax benefit aren’t receiving it. If you are married or in a civil partnership and one of you is earning less …
System allows bailiffs to get away with rule breaking, says Citizens Advice
Bailiffs are not being held to account when they break the rules because the complaints system is complicated and intimidating, according to new research from Citizens Advice. Figures obtained by the charity from the Ministry of Justice show just 56 complaints were made through a court-based process introduced as part of the bailiff reforms in 2014. In the report – …
Rent-to-own cap a victory for struggling families says Citizens Advice
The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent decision to cap the cost of rent to own or rental purchase white goods will help hundreds of thousands of people who use the high-interest agreements. The cap, subject to consultation, will come into force on April 1st next year and it is thought will save consumers up to £22.7m a year, although research from …
The Mansion in Totnes, a good place for advice
Citizens Advice has settled into the Mansion in the Caring Town Information Exchange (CTIE) space and has seen a steady stream of locals asking for help since they started offering their popular drop in sessions there in April. Teena Barrett, Advice Services Manager at Citizens Advice South Hams, who set up the Totnes outreach office as well as running Advice …
Citizens Advice South Hams receives funding to help local tenants and landlords comply with new energy rules by April 2020
Thanks to the Charitable Foundation set up by the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) to improve standards in the private rental sector, Citizens Advice South Hams can continue helping tenants make homes energy efficient and warm, and advise landlords on how to comply with the new energy regulations and further legislative changes coming into force in April 2020. The Citizens Advice …
12 Tips for Avoiding a Festive Debt Hangover
1. Plan early: Plan how much you are going to spend on each person and stick to it. Manage expectations about what you – or Santa – can give. 2. Don’t forget everyday bills: It may be Christmas, but keep on top of priority bills, such as rent and council tax. The consequences for non-payment can be severe. 3. Think …