Assessing the impact of Universal Credit in Surrey Heath, 18 months after its introduction.
A few people get unexpectedly rich, but far more experience problems and misfortune.
Arthur was in his 80s and in debt when he came to us recently for help. The property he was living in had been condemned. It had no gas or hot water and was in need of extensive repair.
If you’re wondering what to do about a problem with a car, an electrical appliance, a package holiday or another product or service, we’re here to help.
Know your rights
In 2015 the Consumer Rights Act came into force providing greater protection if goods or services are faulty.
Waste disposal company Veolia have calculated that the average home receives around 650 items of unwanted mail every year. If you’re fed up with your letterbox being full of “junk”, there’s no single organisation that you can register with, but here are some actions you can take:
Get a letterbox sticker
Put a ‘no junk mail’ sign on your door.
Whatever your income or savings, you may qualify for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) if you find it hard to do everyday tasks or to get around because of a disability, illness or mental health condition.
Who is entitled to PIP?
You need to be between 16 and pension age to receive PIP,
If you’re struggling to afford your gas and electricity, don’t ignore those bills!
What can you do?
The first step is to contact your supplier to discuss ways to pay what you owe them. Your supplier has to help you come to a solution that works for both of you.
If you’re one of the 3 million mixed sex couples living together in the UK you now have an alternative to marriage – you can have a civil partnership instead.
What is a civil partnership?
A civil partnership is a legal relationship which can be registered by two people who aren’t related to each other.
Introduction
Local Citizens Advice offices from across Surrey had identified a problem with the appeals process for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) from client evidence. PIP is a benefit to support people of working age that suffer from long-term ill-health or disability.
Dealing with PIP-related issues is an increasingly important part of the work of Citizens Advice,
Staying in the UK after Brexit
If you’re from the EU, European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you and your family will usually need to apply to stay in the UK after 30 June 2021. The EEA includes EU countries and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
You can do this by applying:
Hate incidents and crimes are acts of hostility or violence directed at people because of who they are or who someone thinks they are. For example, you may have been verbally abused by someone in the street because you’re disabled or someone thought you were gay.
If you’ve experienced a hate incident or crime you should report it to the police.
