Citizens Advice Torfaen

According to UK Finance, between January and June 2019 £7.9m was lost by online dating scam victims and romance scams rose by 64% during the same time period. One in 5 people have either been asked for money or given money to someone they met online.
Here's 6 top tips to avoid online dating scams. At the end there are details of the Citizens Advice Scams Action line that you can use to check before you send money to a scammer online.

Broadband, TV and phone customers will be given the chance to avoid hefty price hikes when their contracts end under rules taking effect today.

Here is some information if you can't get into work because of bad weather.

We are recruiting for volunteer advisers. Full training given. apply here www.citizensadvicetorfaen.org.uk

We are recruiting, a great job is waiting for someone. https://www.recruit3.org.uk/…/trainee-e xperienced-generalis…

Have you, or someone you know still got one of the old style concessionary bus passes?
Transport for Wales has extended the deadline for renewing existing bus passes to Saturday 29th February 2020.
Don’t delay and apply for your new pass as soon as possible at http://tfw.wales/travelcards or visit your local council. Come and see us if you need help to do it.

The benefits freeze is ending in April. This means that the amount paid to working-age benefits claimants will increase by 1.5%, the amount of inflation last year. There will be increases to Universal Credit, to legacy benefits such as ESA and JSA, and to Housing Benefit for people in private rentals. Unfortunately, it won't undo the amount lost to claimants by the austerity measures brought in by the freeze in 2016.

We are recruiting for advice and reception volunteers. Its a great opportunity to do something worthwhile and personally rewarding.
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/local/t orfaen/volunteer/

The Citizens Advice Consumer Service reports on the major gripes people have with goods and services.
If you've got a problem like this, give them a call on 03454 040506 (or 03454 040505 to speak in Welsh). They will tell you what your rights are.

Inaccurate bills are the most common complaint among energy customers, according to Citizens Advice. A survey of 3,000 bill payers who sought help from the consumer charity found that 60% had experienced bill errors, 17% had problems with suppliers’ complaints handling processes and 12% were unhappy about phone waiting times.
The Citizens Advice consumer helpline (03454 040506 or 03454 040505 for Welsh speakers) can help you if you are having problems with your gas or electricity, or you can come and see us. We can also help you find a better energy deal.

Citizens Advice, in its role as the consumer body for postal services, is calling on the Competition & Markets Authority to investigate the nation’s ‘broken’ courier delivery system as new figures show 60 per cent of Britons have problems receiving parcel deliveries.
Many people think they need to chase up the delivery company if something goes wrong, but its actually the seller that is responsible. See our information here https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/…/if- something-you-order…/
If you need help with any consumer problem you can call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 040506 (03454 040505 to speak to someone in Welsh) or come and see us.

We are at Torfaen's Nifty Thrifty Christmas Fair today in the Congress Theatre, Cwmbran. Hope to see some of you there

As many as 80% of people that appeal disability decisions are successful when they go to a tribunal.
If you are turned down unfairly for PIP or ESA we can help you. Come and see us.

With Black Friday coming up soon, it's a good idea to be wary of online marketplaces. Online scammers will be having a field day in the run up to Christmas.
There is some good advice here on avoiding them and Citizens Advice can give you help with online scams through their Scams Action line. See https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/…/get -help-with-online-s…/

Pension Credit is a benefit that people over pension age can get to boost their low incomes, but many thousands of older people in Wales miss out on it by not claiming it. This is a shame because it also unlocks other help like council tax reductions, free dental treatment and help with housing costs.
You may be too young to get it, but please talk to older people you know, like your parents and grandparents, about it.
If you are over pension age and want to know more about it, come and see us.

Concessionary bus passes are being changed. If you have one issued by the council you must ask for a new one to use after 31st December 2019. Your old one won't work after that date.
If you don't have a concessionary bus pass and want to apply for one now because you are over 60, or are under 60 and meet the qualifications as a disabled person, you can do that as well.

Have you lost your mobile phone or had it stolen? Our advice can help you work out what to do next http://bit.ly/2obasee

The @CitizensAdvice #ScamsAction service can help you if 🔎 you think you might’ve found an online scam 💻 you've been scammed online 📞 you're acting on behalf of someone who's been scammed online Find out more and get in touch http://bit.ly/2LWYUF0