Brent Citizens Advice Bureau www.twitter.com/brentcab Autumn 2010
Consortium goes ahead Brent CAB has entered into a consortium agreement with Brent Community Law Centre and Brent Private Tenants Rights Group to deliver legal services in Brent. The agreement enabled Brent CAB, BCLC and BPTRG to bid for a joint contract from the Legal Services Commission (LSC). This is a threeyear contract to deliver specialist social welfare services (in welfare benefits, housing and debt) to Brent residents who are entitled to Legal Aid support. The advantage of the agreement is that Brent residents will be able to access the full range of social welfare legal help at any of the participating organizations. Joining forces this way should be of direct benefit to Brent residents.
The launch of the consortium is expected to take place as soon as the outcome of the Law Society’s Judicial Review is resolved.
people who are amongst the most vulnerable in the community. Brent advice services are ready and prepared. It is time for the LSC to deliver.
We worked hard with our partners to agree protocols and working arrangements. We are now looking forward to the LSC resolving the legal challenges to their bidding process to enable a start to the contract. The sooner these outstanding issues are resolved, the better. After all, the very purpose of the Access to Justice Act, which created the LSC, is to improve access to legal support for
Chair’s Comment
Lesson for the future Brent residents are seeking Brent CAB’s assistance in greater numbers than ever before. Ensuring sufficient resources present the bureau with increased challenges and contrasting approaches by funders. Consider the current LSC’s bidding process for social welfare law contracts. Currently, this is the subject of a successful judicial review by the Law Society. The LSC is considering an appeal. The result is that, one month before the contract is due to start, there is
total uncertainty about the way forward and the LSC’s intentions. This shamble contrasts with the exemplary response by Brent Council to the renewal of the bureau funding this year. The Council’s Executive Committee, meeting in August, decided to protect the bureau from a massive 15% funding reduction. The decision was swift and it settled the argument in favour of maintaining quality CAB services to local residents.
Brent CAB, Working in Partnership with
The difference is stark. Whilst an overtly bureaucratic approach fails, local democracy is able to resolve the tricky issue of allocation of scarce resources according to local priority. This is a lesson to bear in mind and, I suspect, this is a debate of which we will hear much more over the coming months. Ian Brownhill Chair Brent CAB
Social policy Brent CAB tries to influence the development of social policies nationally and locally. The bureau is currently campaigning on the following issues: Medical evidence Brent Citizens Advice Bureau has seen inaccuracies in many of the medical reports in Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) appeals. We are increasingly concerned about the quality of medical assessments undertaken by medical practitioners (ATOS Healthcare) hired by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). We deal with cases where claimants score no points under a DWP work capability assessment and thus are certified as able to work, but on appeal they score at least 15 points, deeming them unable to work. One of our clients scored zero on a work capability assessment, yet scored 33 points at a First Tier Tribunal.
The Mortgage Rescue Scheme is not just beneficial for borrowers in difficulty. For lenders, a property acquired under mortgage rescue will almost always generate more cashflow than repossession. Lenders are likely to recover at least 20% more via MRS, than under the repossession route. We have had 2 successful mortgage rescues in Brent through your partnership work with Brent Council. The scheme has also dramatically increased the tools available to lenders, and advice agencies, to help prevent Brent residents in arrears from losing their homes, and to provide a way forward to those who cannot sustain a mortgage. It is crucial this support continues.
Students The Bureau is campaigning to encourage the DWP to improve their medical assessments process.
Homeowners Equally worrying are the uncertainties with the Government’s Mortgage Rescue Scheme. DWP pays eligible claimants an allowance to meet their mortgage interests. It was announced st that as of 1 October 2010, the rate payable would drop from 6.08% to 3.63%. This will really hit Brent residents, half of whom are home owners and many of whom are on benefits. Those on qualifying benefits for mortgage interest payments will be faced by a shortfall from next month. What the change means is that for example for an outstanding mortgage of £200K, the homeowner will be hit with a shortfall of £94 per week, which for a single parent is more than a personal allowance of IS or JSA .
News in Brief Facebook and Twitter Brent CAB joined Facebook and Twitter recently and we hope you can keep up to date with our news, events and useful advice. You can find us on: www.twitter.com/brentcab, which has a link to our Facebook page. Winter Warmth We have made further progress with our Winter Warmth Fund, set up by The Tricycle Theatre and Brent CAB. Thirteen awards have been made to date, with a further six still to be made. The beneficiaries of the £200 grants are Brent residents who are affected by fuel poverty. This includes those with a long-term illness, elderly people and families with young children. Children Centres Outcomes Brent CAB advisers have gained over £432,000 in financial outcomes for parents at children centres so far this year - including benefit entitlements, repayments for debts, charitable payments and child support/maintenance payments.
Another recent issue of concern involves clients being wrongly advised by the Student Loans Company. Students have been asked to submit a letter with their loan application confirming their household makeup.
The latest figure makes it a total £3.2 million gained at children centres in 18 months.
The letter must be written by their local Citizens Advice Bureau or a solicitor, which would obviously involve costs.
Brent Citizens Advice Bureau
This is an unprecedented request from the Student Loans Company, which we cannot understand as our bureau has no power to verify the number of people in a household.
Social Policy contact If you are interested in any of these issues or wish to work as a social policy volunteer, contact samia.badani@brentcab.co.uk
Access to Advice
270 – 272 High Road Willesden London NW10 2EY www.twitter.com/brentcab Open session: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9.30-16.00. Thursday by appointment only. Advice Line: 0845 050 5250 Mon-Fri 9.30-5pm. For general information www.adviceguide.org.uk
This newsletter was edited by Fernando Ruz 0208 438 1214 f.ruz@brentcab.co.uk