Bridgend County Borough Citizens Advice

Has your rented home been flooded during Storm Bert? Your landlord is responsible for repairs if your rented home is affected by flooding. Tell your landlord as soon as possible if your rented home has flooded and needs repairs. Your landlord must then carry out the repairs within a reasonable period of time, agreed between you depending on the type of work to be done. Check our advice on flooding in your rented home. https://lnkd.in/eBtZXU8A

Buy smart and stay safe this Black Friday Planning to buy toys for your kids this Black Friday or start your gift shopping for Christmas? As you check off your shopping list, remember a few quick safety tips to keep everyone safe this holiday season. Product safety laws in the UK are designed to protect you from harm, but it’s always wise to do a quick check when buying items, especially if you’re buying from international sellers. Find out how you can make sure your purchases are safe in our blog. https://lnkd.in/eNrDD8ku

Ministers told to raise sick pay as report says 1.6 million would be unable to pay bills Our latest report ‘In sickness and in health: Why Statutory Sick Pay needs further reform’ found that despite the changes to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), it will leave 78% of those on the lowest incomes – the equivalent of 1.6 million people – unable to pay their bills if they have to rely on SSP for 4 weeks. Our Director of Policy Tom MacInnes said: “The proposed reforms to the system are welcome but they don’t go far enough. Crucially, the amount of SSP people receive must be increased so it more closely reflects national living wage.” Read more in The Guardian. https://lnkd.in/e-fy3Mjh

Citizens Advice Data Insights: Spotlight on Gender Join us online on 6 December, 12pm to 1pm for our latest Data Insights event as we put the spotlight on gender. We’ll be joined by Jess Phillips MP, Under-Secretary of State in the Home Office, minister responsible for Safeguarding and Violence against Women and Girls. She will discuss the government’s commitment to halve violence against women and girls in the next decade. Putting people with lived experience at the centre of policy-making, she will examine the systemic changes needed to better protect women and girls, improving their safety and well-being in the face of increasing challenges. You can register for free on Eventbrite. https://lnkd.in/eWNCJ6-c

Parcels League Table 2024 We compared the biggest parcel companies on delivery problems, accessibility, customer service, and trust. The 2024 Parcels League Table reveals for the 4th year in a row the parcels market is not working for consumers. Although we have seen some slight improvements for most companies in overall ratings and delivery problem scores, all parcel companies scored 3 stars or under out of a possible 5.  Check how parcel companies performed on our website. https://lnkd.in/e_3JMkUa

How can we make rented homes warmer and cheaper? As prices have risen, private renters have faced a perfect storm of high energy bills and poor conditions. With worrying numbers cutting back on heating to pay rising rents, more than 1 in 3 private renters couldn’t heat their homes to a comfortable temperature last winter. We’ve been pleased to see the government making progress on its commitment to raise minimum energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector, with a consultation expected in the coming weeks. But it’s vital that the new regulations are clearly communicated, and backed up by both support for landlords to make upgrades and enforcement action if they don’t comply.   Find out more in our latest blog.  https://lnkd.in/eZy2DCZt

Budgeting and talking about money With the festive season coming up, it’s a good time to check in on your finances. Talking about money isn’t always easy - 90% of young people feel uncomfortable discussing finances. And 1 in 5 young people who come to us have a debt problem. So we know it’s pretty important to reduce the stigma around money.  We’ve put together a starter guide to talking and finding out about money. https://lnkd.in/enKsHSqZ

Are you entitled to a refund from Student Finance? If you are repaying your student loan, make sure you check if you’re entitled to a refund. You may be entitled if your income was below the repayment threshold or you overpaid because your employer used the wrong repayment plan. Find out more in our Instagram post. https://lnkd.in/eZh9pycZ

Save money heating your home A warm home is essential during the colder months. Did you know there might be free or low cost ways you can keep heat in your home? For example, you can close your curtains and blinds when it’s dark, find ways to block draughts and use heated throws or blankets. This can save you money because you won’t need your heating on as much. Check our online advice on saving money heating your home. https://lnkd.in/edzHFNMX

Tackling November Blues for students As the nights are getting longer and freshers week is starting to feel further and further away, many students might be starting to feel the pressure of university life. Autumn can be a bit of a miserable time for students with workloads increasing therefore causing social lives to decrease. That’s why it is so important for you to be looking after your wellbeing. Check these 5 tips from mental health charity Student Minds to help you look after yourself this autumn. https://lnkd.in/eZXZzDkH