From Local Evidence to National Conversations: Our September Research & Campaigns Activity

Every day, people come to Citizens Advice Middlesbrough for help with issues such as benefits, debt, housing and energy costs.

While our advisers help people with their individual problems, the experiences shared with us can also highlight wider issues affecting people across Middlesbrough.

Through our Research & Campaigns work, we bring this evidence together and share it with organisations and decision-makers. This helps make sure that conversations about policies and services reflect what people are experiencing in practice.

During September, our work included contributing to discussions about Personal Independence Payment, speaking with the Department for Work and Pensions, supporting national campaigns on debt and housing, and sharing evidence about the challenges facing older people and private renters.

Contributing to the Review of Personal Independence Payment

During September, we continued contributing to the Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment, also known as PIP.

PIP can help with some of the additional costs of living with a disability or long-term health condition. The Timms Review is considering how the benefit should work in the future.

When the Review published its emerging recommendations, we examined the proposals and asked our advisers whether they reflected the problems people experience when applying for or receiving PIP.

Advisers shared important concerns about the quality of assessments, how supporting evidence is considered, the effectiveness of Mandatory Reconsiderations and the length of time people can wait for an appeal.

They also highlighted the challenges faced by people with fluctuating health conditions, mental health difficulties and neurodivergent conditions. These conditions do not always affect someone in the same way every day, so it is important that people have a fair opportunity to explain the support they need.

We used these insights to prepare our own assessment of the Review’s emerging recommendations.

We cautiously welcomed several of the proposals but highlighted that their success will depend on how they are designed and introduced. Clear safeguards, reliable use of evidence and measurable quality standards will be needed if the proposals are to improve people’s experiences.‍

We shared our assessment with National Citizens Advice and other local Citizens Advice offices. This helps make sure that the experiences of people in Middlesbrough can contribute to wider discussions as the Review progresses.

Speaking with the Department for Work and Pensions

In September, we had an introductory meeting with a regional representative from the Department for Work and Pensions.

The meeting followed our previous work with Citizens Advice offices across the North East on Universal Credit sanctions. It provided an opportunity to continue building communication and to discuss how concerns arising through frontline advice could be shared.

We will use this relationship carefully to highlight problems experienced by local people and contribute to constructive discussions about how services could be improved.

Contributing to National Budget Campaigning

Citizens Advice published its submission ahead of the Autumn Budget during September.

The submission called for action on several issues that regularly affect the people we support. These included:

• reforming the Warm Home Discount
• delivering an energy debt relief scheme
• restoring Local Housing Allowance so it better reflects local rents
• improving Breathing Space debt protection
• reforming council tax collection
• replacing the five-week wait for Universal Credit with upfront grants
• investing in advice services as essential community support.

We were pleased to be invited by National Citizens Advice to write the foreword to the Debt Relief and Support section of the submission.

This followed our previous work on council tax reform, including the evidence shared by our advisers and wider conversations about enforcement and the effect of debt collection on people experiencing financial difficulties.‍

For us, this invitation reflects the value of the experiences and insight shared by advisers and clients across Middlesbrough.

It also meant that evidence gathered locally helped introduce recommendations submitted directly to the Treasury.

Sharing Evidence About Warm and Comfortable Homes

We also contributed evidence to a national Call for Evidence about warm and comfortable homes.

There has been greater attention on energy efficiency, insulation, home improvements and reducing household energy costs. However, the experiences shared with our advisers suggest that the practical benefits are not always reaching everyone.

We continue to help people who live in homes that are difficult or expensive to heat. We also support people who are struggling with energy debt or are unsure what help is available, whether they are eligible or how to apply.

Our response highlighted the need for support to be accessible, understandable and available when people need it.

Bringing Pension-Age Benefits Evidence into Wider Discussions

Our research into the take-up of pension-age benefits also received wider interest during September.

The work looks at the experiences of people approaching State Pension age, including people moving from Universal Credit to pension-age benefits. It considers whether some people could miss out on support during this change.

The research explores potential barriers to claiming State Pension, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and other linked support. These barriers may particularly affect people who have limited contact with Jobcentre services, do not regularly access their Universal Credit account or find digital information difficult to use.

Our findings attracted the interest of Age UK through its work supporting the Ageing and Older People All-Party Parliamentary Group. This provides another opportunity for evidence gathered in Middlesbrough to contribute to wider discussions about benefit awareness, access to support and financial security in later life.

Exploring the Experiences of Private Renters

We continued working alongside Citizens Advice Stockton to explore how changes to renters’ rights are affecting private tenants.

We are particularly interested in whether tenants feel more able to report problems such as damp, mould, leaks and repairs that have not been completed.

Poor housing conditions can affect people’s health, finances and quality of life. Some tenants may also worry about what could happen if they complain to their landlord.

Our advisers are helping us collect evidence from relevant housing cases. We also received information from Middlesbrough Council about reports and investigations relating to alleged unlawful eviction and landlord harassment. This will contribute to the evidence considered as the research develops.

By working with Citizens Advice Stockton, we can build a broader picture of what private renters are experiencing across our local area.

Looking Ahead

Over the coming months, we will continue gathering evidence about the issues affecting people across Middlesbrough. This will include monitoring developments connected to PIP, housing conditions, debt, energy costs and the wider cost of living. We will also continue speaking with partner organisations and decision-makers when opportunities arise.

While we cannot decide what changes will be made, we can help make sure that local experiences are part of the conversation when policies and services are being considered.

Thank You

Every time someone shares their experience with us, it helps us better understand the challenges facing people across Middlesbrough.

The problems brought to Citizens Advice do not always affect just one person. They can point to wider difficulties with policies, services or systems that may be affecting many others.

By listening to these experiences and bringing the evidence together, we can raise concerns, contribute to consultations and help decision-makers understand how their decisions affect people in practice.

Thank you to everyone who has trusted us with their story, and to our staff and volunteers for recognising and recording emerging issues.

Your experiences help us provide advice today while also contributing to discussions that could improve support for others in the future.