The Government announced on 19 January 2018 that it will not be appealing a High Court judgment which will lead to up to 220,000 people being entitled to claim Personal Independence Payment. This decision is the culmination of four years of advice and legal casework that begin in Sheffield. We have published a briefing describing our role in securing this outcome.
News & campaigns
The report into access to health services that we created with Healthwatch and Disability Sheffield, Not Equal, was discussed on Toby Foster at Breakfast on BBC Radio Sheffield this morning and will be featured again at 4pm. You can listen again here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/radiosheffield
A report, published by Healthwatch Sheffield, in partnership with Disability Sheffield and Citizens Advice Sheffield, after carrying out an investigation into the experiences of Deaf people accessing health and social care services in the city was released on 9 January 2018.
The report arises from concerns identified by Citizens Advice Sheffield, and from subsequent investigations in which we have been an active partner. Sharon Hirshman and staff and volunteers from our Deaf Advice Team have been closely involved with this work. The report makes important recommendations which we very much hope the local NHS will act upon.
Citizens Advice Sheffield have published a report arising from interviews with clients about “Insecure employment” – see attached copy. This work has been undertaken by the research and campaigns team – Frances, Tim, Kate and Shaun in particular, assisted by a postgraduate student, Richard Pearson, who interviewed the clients.
Yorkshire Post, 19/10/2017, Lindsay Pantry
Researchers on behalf of the Social Mobility Commission tracked individuals’ pay over ten years and found low pay is “endemic” in the UK, with little progress in the numbers of people managing to escape from poorly paid jobs.
Big Issue, 06/11/2017, Ciara Leeming
Frances Potter, lead on research and campaigns at Citizens Advice Sheffield, was interviewed for an in-depth feature in the Big Issue North about the rollout of Universal Credit.
She raised the story of a domestic violence survivor who ran into problems receiving the benefit when moving to the city from London.
“It was really difficult to resolve,” she said. “When we tried to use the fancy new online journal system that full service Universal Credit claimants use it just didn’t work.”
