As well as giving advice, we campaign for changes in policies and services where improvements are needed – solving problems for people who may never even use our services. We talk to Government, local councils and other policy makers to help them improve the laws and services that affect ordinary people.

The True Cost of a free education

Many people are struggling to meet the cost of providing the correct items of school uniform and paying for educational trips.

Citizens Advice nationally are gathering evidence on this issue, and at Bath we are doing our bit too. We have written to all the local schools with a questionnaire about what help is available for those on low income at their school together with some tips to reduce the cost.

We are also asking clients to complete a similar questionnaire about their own experiences. Our Campaign team will then collate all the information to see what is going on in our area, and to feed in to the national campaign. Staff at our head office will be lobbying MPs with this evidence of unaffordability of school uniform and trips, to see if national policy can be changed to help.

Bailiffs and the collection of Council Tax Arrears

We have long been concerned at the impact that Bailiffs action is having on our clients who owe Council Tax. In Summer 2007 we attended a meeting with the local revenues and benefits staff and the chief executive of one of the firms of bailiffs used by BANES to collect unpaid Council Tax. It was good to be able to express our frustrations and try to get something done to make things better for our clients.

As a result of the meeting we now have a contact with senior bailiff staff to enable us to negotiate at a higher level than previously. This is already helping some clients, in particular where the repayments being demanded were set at an unaffordably high level, leaving little or no money for the essentials such as food and fuel.

Fares to hospital

Our Macmillan benefits caseworkers have identified that many patients attending the local hospital for their cancer treatment cannot afford the fares, which can be as much as £10 per day for a 60 day course of treatment. They are working with the providers of the community hospital transport and staff at the hospital to come to an agreement whereby the voluntary fares charged by the transport service do not exceed the allowance given by the hospital so that patients entitled to free transport are not having to subsidise it our of their already reduced incomes.

This important piece of work will mean that patients will be able to afford to attend for their essential treatment, and will not only be of benefit to cancer patients but to all who attend the hospital for treatment.

The cost of prescriptions

We are also working with local pharmacists to increase their awareness of their role in helping identify those who are eligible for free prescriptions, and to assist in the paperwork needed to claim.

We are also producing leaflets to make people aware of prescription pre-payment certificates, which can now be paid for in installments. This is a welcome development to assist those who need lots of prescriptions to budget for them.

You'll find more about our current national campaigns at Citizens Advice service campaigns for change .

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