Complaints

If we’ve let you down, tell us
We want everyone who uses Citizens Advice Sedgemoor to be happy with the service we provide. That’s why, if we’ve let you down, we want to hear from you – no matter how big or small the issue is.
Often, we’ll be able to put things right. – and even when we can’t, knowing where we’ve gone wrong will help us do better in the future.
We promise to deal with every complaint quickly, professionally and confidentially.

Asking your local Citizens Advice to resolve the problem
It’s important to us at Citizens Advice Sedgemoor that we know what we’ve done wrong, so we can do our best to put it right.

Don’t be afraid to speak to a manager or the Chief Executive – they will often be able to solve the problem straight away.
If they can’t, or you’re still not happy, you can make a formal complaint. Making a formal complaint There are several ways to make a complaint:
a) You can call or email your complaint to the number/address below
b) You can write a letter explaining what happened and send it to the address below, or drop it into Citizens Advice Sedgemoor office.
c) Alternatively, you can call or email the national Citizens Advice feedback team using the details below and they will pass your complaint to the right person

.Your complaint will be investigated by someone who isn’t directly involved. If it’s upheld,
we’ll apologise fully – and, if appropriate, let you know what we’re doing to put things right.
We aim to respond to every complaint within eight weeks. If it’s going to take longer than this,
we’ll explain why and keep you informed of progress.

Asking for a review
If you feel we haven’t dealt with your complaint properly, or you aren’t satisfied with the outcome, you can ask us to review the decision.
Please make sure you ask for this within four weeks of receiving the decision by contacting the Feedback Team – details below. The review will be overseen by our Chief Executive.

Using an independent adjudicator
If you are still not happy with the decision, you can refer your complaint to an independent adjudicator. An independent adjudicator is someone unconnected with Citizens Advice who will decide whether we’ve dealt with your complaint fairly.
If you want to progress to this stage, you must contact us within four weeks of receiving your review decision from Citizens Advice.

Contacting the Financial Ombudsman Service
The Financial Ombudsman Service provides a free, independent service for clients to solve disputes with not for profit debt advice providers.
The Financial Ombudsman Service will only step in once a local Citizens Advice has had the opportunity to investigate a complaint, so please contact the local service first.
If your complaint is about debt advice or if you were seeking advice about your credit record and you are not satisfied with the final response, or if eight weeks have passed since you first let us know about your concerns, you can ask the Financial Ombudsman to review your complaint.

Who to complain to
Local Citizens Advice
The Chief Executive of Citizens Advice Sedgemoor or the Chair of the Trustee Board, at:
Victoria Park Community Centre, Victoria Park Drive, Bridgwater TA6 7AS
01278 459009
amy.jones@citizensadvicesedgemoor.org.uk

National Citizens Advice
Feedback team: 03000 231 900
feedback@citizensadvice.org.uk

Monthly Advice Column

My income has dropped due to coronavirus and I’m struggling to keep up with all of my bills. I rent my house from a private landlord and pay all the usual bills – electricity, water, and Council Tax. How best can I juggle them, and is there any help I can get from the government?

If your income is reduced because of coronavirus, you should check whether you’re entitled to sick pay or to claim benefits. You can check your eligibility for both sick pay and benefits on the Citizens Advice website. If you’re already on existing benefits, these might also increase.

If you’re struggling to pay rent, talk to your landlord straight away. You should explain the situation and could ask for more time to pay, a temporary reduction in rent, or ask to catch up any missed payments by instalments. If you contact your nearest Citizens Advice an adviser can help you explain things to your landlord. If you can’t come to an agreement with your landlord, it’s a good idea to pay what you can afford and keep a record of what you offered.

The government passed an emergency law which means landlords have to give you three months notice to end certain tenancy types from 26 March. The court service has suspended all possession action for 90 days from 27 March. This means that even if you have been served a notice for eviction it’s unlikely it can be enforced during this time. You can find out more about what to do if you’re being evicted for rent arrears on the Citizens Advice website.

If you already claim Housing Benefit, you should tell the council your income has reduced. If you don’t claim it already, you might be entitled to help with housing costs from the government.

When it comes to your utilities, you should contact the provider as soon as possible. Depending on the type of bill, they may be able to arrange a payment plan, or have schemes in place for people in financial hardship. You should also talk to your local council, as your income has changed you might be entitled to a council tax reduction.

If you’re struggling to pay multiple bills, it’s important to sort out what’s known as ‘priority bills’ like energy bills or council tax over credit card bills. This is because the immediate consequences of not paying these things are much more serious. Citizens Advice website can help you with this.