Cambridge & District Citizens Advice Bureau
Cambridge & District Citizens Advice Bureau | | ||||
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| Current Social Policy issuesWhat is Social Policy? At CAB we refer to current issues as “Social Policy”. This is to do with the 2nd of our twin aims as an organisation…… “To exercise a responsible influence on the development of policies and services, both locally and nationally”
nationally - our national organisation Citizens Advice, alerts us to issues on an ongoing basis and asks us to look for evidence about the matter e.g. problems with finding NHS dentists, landlords hanging on to rent deposits, bailiffs acting outside the law etc, and locally - we observe that we have a string of clients coming to us about a certain issue or company.
What do we do about it? We collect the evidence in the form of (anonymous) client cases and submit them to Citizens Advice. For local issues we not only submit these to Citizens Advice too because it may become apparent that they are issues that are more wide spread, but we also take the matter up ourselves locally – either with the offending company, statutory body, individual and/or by alerting the local press. Nationally, Citizens Advice uses the evidence to influence Government and to lobby for change to policies, laws and how agencies work.
We get alerted to issues every month but, at the moment, the following are matters that we are concentrating on:
Lots of our clients are coming to us worried about what to do with mistakes in their tax credits. It is often difficult to get through to the right people at the benefit agency and often even more difficult to get matters put right. Frequently, clients tell us that they get worrying letters demanding overpayments back within an impossible timescale – often about overpayments they were not aware of and have subsequently spent. If you have had a problem with this please tell us by filling out the form below. 2) Cuts to Mental Health Services It has been well publicised that our Mental Health services have had to suffer huge cuts due to the lack of funding (in fact the service has found itself in the red to a staggering amount – so some of these cuts have come in very quickly). Have you or members of your family or your friends experienced problems with the withdrawal of services? Tell us about it so we can tell them. Fill in the form below. 3) Debt consolidation companies We seem to hear about debt every day and what a huge and growing problem it is. We also get bombarded by adverts from companies who promise to gather “all your debts into one easy monthly payment” and/or use a little known piece of law that allows them to write off most of your debt. If only life were that simple – unfortunately many of these agreements end up creating a worse debt than at the beginning and people can even lose their house. Worse still, because these companies make their money out of getting people to organise a repayment scheme they will not always give you the right advice for your debt problem i.e. in some circumstances it is better to go bankrupt. It is not, however, in their interest to advise this. Have you had an experience that you would like to tell us about. Fill out the form below. A very local issue…. 4) Accommodation Direct We have had a number of clients come to us with problems relating to this company. In2cambridge (www.in2cambridge.com) is run by the same person as Accommodation Direct. Have you had any problems with either company? Tell us by filling out the form below.
Please note. We are asking for your name and contact details because we may need to check some information. None of this is used in our evidence forms and please see our privacy policy. We are however keen to know if you would be willing to speak to the press, or allow us to use your case as an example for the press if they decide they want it for a news or investigative item. Please tick the “media willing” box if you are.
Form Object
Research/success stories Two examples of issues that we thought needed extra research to find out the local picture are: 1) Fee-charging cash machines 2) Access to NHS dentists Fee-charging cash-withdrawal machines in Cambridge In 1999 virtually all cash machines in the UK were free to use. Just seven years later over 40 percent of cash machines charge a fee for cash-withdrawals. So, Cambridge CAB carried out an investigation that aimed to assess the impact that fee-charging cash machines were having locally. The numbers and locations of fee-charging cash withdrawal machines in the area were mapped and compared to the numbers and locations of free ones. We found that the fee-charging machines are more common in areas where people who are unemployed or economically inactive (for example, retired people) live. In other words, people who can least afford it stand to be stung by high (£1.50p upwards) charges when they withdraw their cash. In response to this finding, we alerted Citizens Advice. Nationally, they had been raising this issue with the major banks and subsequently HSBC committed to installing 10 free cash machines in locations that were identified as needing them. We have been put on the list of possible locations for help. How easy is it to find an NHS dentist in Cambridge? In April 2006 fundamental reforms to NHS dentistry came into operation. The reforms were intended to address long-standing access problems. Examples of measures included in the reforms are a clearer three-tiered pricing structure and a wage for dentists as opposed to a ‘fee for item of service structure’.
What is clear is that the effect of the reforms on NHS dentistry in Cambridge requires further monitoring. To that end, your experiences of Cambridge NHS dentistry would be welcomed – please write them in the ‘Any other comments’ box in the Social Policy feedback form The information we would like to obtain should relate to NHS dental treatment you have had – or have tried to have - since April 2006 and should roughly answer the following two broad questions:
Any other comments about your last treatment with an NHS dentist would also be welcomed. Thanks for your help! The information you give will help us influence the ways in which NHS dentistry services are shaped in the future.
Do you want to help us with Social Policy work? If you want to get involved please go to the volunteering section.
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© 2007 Cambridge Citizens Advice Bureau | |||||
Page last updated: 01/07/2008 | |||||
We look out for issues in two ways – 
1) Tax credit Overpayments
Cambridge CAB carried out an investigation into access to NHS dentists in the city since these reforms. This top-line scan suggested that it is too early to draw up a clear or comprehensive picture of how the reforms are affecting NHS dentistry in Cambridge. However, there was some evidence that reforms have not, so far, always had the intended result. For example, charges to patients are not always lower – indeed sometimes they are higher. Furthermore, some dentists voiced concerns about the new NHS payment structures. 
