English, Gaelic and Welsh are the top three languages spoken in the UK. And at Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) we pride ourselves on providing free, advice for everyone. Whether it’s through an external interpreter or volunteers that speak a specific language, we do all we can to ensure the advice we give can be accessed by anyone living in Scotland, despite their preferred method of communication.
And now that includes 117,300 people in Scotland who use British Sign Language (BSL) and are looking for advice around new changes to their benefit entitlement. Thousands of people seek advice from us on a variety of issues including debt, energy, housing and relationships. But the most common area of support we give to those who come through our CAB doors every day is around benefits.
The UK Government recently introduced a process called “managed migration” where legacy benefits are being transferred across to Universal Credit (UC). This impacts thousands of people across the Scotland including those who are claiming Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). People claiming ESA will soon be contacted via letter by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) advising of the migration of benefits.
Helpfully, our Help to Claim service is a helpline that’s been designed specifically for people who need advice making the switch to UC. The service helps people confirm eligibility of payments, provide step-by-step support to complete a UC claim, prepare for Job Centre appointments, a.
