Citizens Advice Bureau - Annual Review 2025/26

PENSIONWISE This is a service offering free and impartial guidance to people aged 50 or over helping them to make an informed decision about taking money from their UK Defined Contribution Pension Pots. It is provided from Money Helper. A Pensionwise appointment lasts about 60 minutes when a fully trained Guidance Specialist explains how each option works and any tax implications, effect on any benefits, any debt arrangements in place, how to be on the alert for scams and other trusted sources of guidance and advice. After an appointment the client is given a summary of their pension options and the next steps to be taken. Guidance Specialists deliver face-to-face appointments in CAB offices and by telephone. The number is 0800 138 3944. This service, while still available, will not be provided via CABx after March 2026. MONEY TALKS PLUS Focussing on income maximisation and debt solutions Money Talks Plus is designed to prioritise assistance to acutely vulnerable households as identified in the Scottish Government’s child poverty strategy which includes single parents aged 25 or under, families with disabled members and refugee families seeking benefits for the first time. While originally intended to respond to central government welfare reforms in the 2010 decade the increasing range of benefits devolved to Social Security Scotland has required the project to continue aiding clients in navigating a complicated matrix of systems at national and local levels. Relationships have developed with the Glasgow Health & Social Care Partnership increasing quality and quantity of referrals. Promotions have been executed in local libraries alerting parents to time-critical welfare issues obligating claimants to migrate to Universal Credit. In the year the project had a client count of 802 of which 55 were about debt and 536 within targeted family groups. TRAINING In the last year the bureau had 113 applicants from prospective new volunteers of which 29 were accepted for basic training, 22 as general advisers and 2 for admin. In the preceding year we had only 70 new applicants in total. At the year-end there were 11 volunteers in training. Training is mostly done remotely by electronic means through CASLearn although there is still some face-to-face tuition. Basic training covers the CAB practices & policies, administration and statistical requirements, interview techniques and essential subjects which includes shadowing, being shadowed and achieving a level of competence to be awarded a certificate from Citizens’ Advice Scotland. On-going training for existing staff continued with specialist subjects like advanced debt management, mentoring, social security, housing, employment, immigration, gambling awareness and any new legislation. Training is also delivered to staff when any new projects are introduced. Several staff attended online in-service training courses offered by Citizens’ Advice Scotland and Money Advice Scotland. This bureau, like others in Glasgow, subscribes to the Glasgow University scheme whereby their participating students can, after 100 hours in the bureau, gain credits towards their academic course. Training is always ongoing and the bureau remains committed to staff training and personal development including board members and different tiers of management. SOCIAL POLICY The bureau has a small team of workers led by a co-ordinator specialising in Social Policy to ameliorate hardship and social injustice. The team filters through cases brought to the bureau and encourages advisers to highlight any social policy issue as they arise. In the last year the team has been monitoring the impact of welfare reforms to identify emerging issues affecting those we support. Adviser feedback was reviewed to recognise recurring trends and concerns with Universal Credit and a common theme of wider benefit pressures. It helped inform evidence-based policy and advocacy internally and externally. There were several awareness initiatives including a campaign on changes to Employment & Support Allowance. A Social Policy Lunch & Learn Session was delivered for colleagues to help ensure staff and clients remain informed on developments and potential changes. The team works closely with a dedicated Social Policy Group set up to assist Glasgow CABx with such matters of interest and that should be addressed locally or nationally. Similarly, the team reports back to Citizens Advice Scotland on their findings. HELP TO CLAIM This project has salaried staff providing advice and support to set up Universal Credit claims via telephone and webchat channels. The past year was the 7th of the project when there were 2,607 clients accessing the service in this bureau with financial gains realising £300,131.81. The client contacts increased from last year due to the Managed Migration of benefit claims from legacy benefits of former claims. There was a steady increase in complex cases as the most vulnerable cohort of claimants on Employment & Support Allowance were moved over to Universal Credit. Help to Claim reports nationwide show the quality of advice has remained excellent. However, as the Managed Migration notices from the Department for Work & Pensions slowed towards the end of the year, funding and the associated staff force reduced and returned to pre-managed migration level.