Local Campaigns
Have a look at what Citizens Advice South Somerset are currently campaigning about by clicking on the links below.
Funeral Costs in South Somerset
After hearing of clients that found themselves in debt after arranging a funeral, we began some research in 2016 into the costs associated with a funeral…….click here to read more
Checking your entitlement to free Prescriptions
In 2018 the government introduced new checks to crack down on free prescription fraud but we found that some people, especially those on Universal Credit, had experienced difficulties in claiming free prescriptions to which it appears they were entitled. These people then received penalty charges which increased their financial difficulties and caused significant distress. Our research found that the advice given to people, on Universal Credit can be confusing because the prescription form has never been updated to reflect the change in the Benefit system. We found that pharmacists are often told that it is up to the customer to make sure they are claiming correctly, but the only guidance is online and some people may find it difficult to access.
Not everyone on Universal Credit is entitled to free prescriptions, it depends on your income. The official NHS guidance can be found here
The NHS now says that UC-compatible forms won’t be routinely available until the end of 2019. However, the National Audit Office released a report calling for a simpler system, this report can be found here
Reporting Scams
We have been campaigning for some time both to raise awareness of scams and to find ways to bring scammers to account. It is very difficult to catch the scammers but we think it is important to report attempted scams wherever possible.
Scams take many forms and evidence suggests that people of any age can fall victim to some form of scam. We continually try to raise awareness of scams on our social media sites.
If you’re a victim of an online scam, contact the @CitizensAdvice #ScamsAction service for free, confidential and independent advice. There are a number of ways to get in touch – you can use our web chat service, visit our online advice or call our trained advisers, http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ScamsAction/
Other useful websites include:
- National Citizens Advice – guidelines for reporting a scam: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/scams/reporting-a-scam/
- Trading Standards for Devon, Cornwall and Somerset: https://www.devonsomersettradingstandards.gov.uk
- Friends Against Scams: https://www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk
- Action Fraud: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/reporting-fraud-and-cyber-crime
