Latest news with #CitizensAdviceBureau
RNZ News
2 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Does New Zealand need a common will repository?
One of the most common queries the Citizens' Advice Bureau fields is to do with death and dying. More than 6000 enquiries about this topic were made to the CAB in 2023 - many over what to do if someone dies intestate - without a will - and the consequent impacts of that. Also of concern, setting up Enduring Power of Attorney and how to manage funeral costs. The organisation's Deputy Chief Executive is Andrew Hubbard, and he joins Kathryn to talk about why New Zealand needs a common will repository and a publicly funded service for wills and setting up EPAs. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
Scoop
24-06-2025
- General
- Scoop
A Guide To Support Newcomers Settling In Our District
Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) is proud to share a Newcomers Guide to the Queenstown Lakes District, a resource developed in collaboration with support service organisations, local education providers and businesses, and newcomers, to assist those moving to our district. QLDC Welcoming Communities Coordinator Silvia Dancose is delighted to launch the new guide to help those in the process of moving to or arriving in Queenstown, Wānaka and other towns in the district. 'Moving here is an exciting opportunity but can also be challenging. The guide provides newcomers with valuable local resources and services to help them adjust to life in their new home,' said Ms Dancose. 'Having all this information accessible in one place will play a key role in helping those who choose this part of Aotearoa New Zealand to live, work or study to feel more welcome and connected, and enable them to foster a sense of community,' she said. The Newcomers Guide provides information on how to find a place to live, work, access health care, connect with your community, learn English, manage money and finances, what to do in case of an emergency, and much more. QLDC People and Capability Director Katie Church shares the benefit of including the Newcomers Guide as part of QLDC's onboarding resources. 'For many, moving to our district is often an opportunity to start a new job and build a new life, it's important to help make the transition smoother and more successful by providing guidance and resources to newcomers and their families,' said Ms Church. 'This is great resource for employers to consider offering as part of their on-boarding process, especially for employees who are new to Aotearoa New Zealand and the region,' she said. Since May, a series of small launch events have been held with support service organisations, the health, business and education sectors, and Pacific and other migrant community groups. To find out more about the Newcomers Guide, read an online copy and provide feedback go to Printed versions of the Newcomers Guide can be found at QLDC offices, libraires, sport and recreation centres and other supporting organisations such as Citizens Advice Bureau, Community Link Upper Clutha, NZ Police, Salvation Army, Plunket and local schools. Developing the Newcomers Guide is an action from the three-year Welcoming Plan that was created by QLDC and the community to reflect the unique characteristics of our place and people, to ensure that all newcomers can thrive. Having a community led Welcoming Plan enabled QLDC to gain accreditation as an 'Established Welcoming Community' by Immigration New Zealand in February 2025. This marked a milestone in Council's commitment to continue to make this district welcoming and inclusive for everyone.
The Herald Scotland
07-06-2025
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
Damp and mouldy housing means too many people are left in the cold
Damp and mouldy housing is often a consequence of poor energy efficiency, such as inadequate insulation or draught-proofing. This can then cause fuel poverty (paying too much for energy in relation to income), making it a difficult three-pronged problem to tackle. What's important though is understanding how it impacts people and their homes, and how it can be fixed. To get a better sense of how people experienced these problems, we looked at cases reported to us by advisers in Citizens Advice Bureaux across Scotland over the last couple of years. From this we've produced a short report, Left in the Cold (available on our website) – with real-life examples. These clearly showed the human impacts of poor energy efficiency – from harming people's health to property damage, poverty and even homelessness. One person's experience which really stayed with us while doing this work is Mary's (not her real name). Mary lived in her privately rented home for 21 years but had been disconnected from the gas supply for 15 years. Despite trying to heat her home with electric heaters, her flat had become mouldy. As a result, Mary has had to take prescription medication to treat repeated chest infections. This situation was made more complex because Mary has learning difficulties and struggled to navigate the problems she encountered. It's astonishing how Mary coped in these circumstances. If she hadn't come to her local Citizens Advice Bureau, it doesn't bear imagining what her health would be like now. We know damp and mould can be stubborn problems to resolve, but we also know solutions are out there. We're seeing a better response from social landlords, who are working more closely with tenants to find a solution that works for the tenant. However, social landlords also tend to be restricted by a lack of funding, which is leading to many tenants having to wait a very long time for a resolution. So, like many other organisations, we agree that enough is enough. We want to see stronger enforcement against private landlords who do not address damp and mould. There can be no excuse for renting out unsafe and unhealthy homes. A mix of awareness-raising, training and continuation of Scottish Government grants and loans are also all needed to support all tenures to improve energy efficiency. Awaab's Law is a step in the right direction, but amidst a housing, climate and child poverty emergency, we must and can do better. Aoife Deery is part of the Social Justice team at Citizens Advice Scotland
Scoop
03-06-2025
- General
- Scoop
Your Rights, Your Records: CAB Highlights ‘Kōnae' A Website To Support People To Access Their Records
Press Release – Citizens Advice Bureau Knae is a website designed to help people know how and where to access their records from times when government, faith-based or other organisations were responsible for their guardianship or care. A moko's story of his koro retrieving personal records from when he lived in a children's home has been turned into a powerful 3-minute video story by the Citizens Advice Bureau to promote their launch of Kōnae: My Records Guide website. Kōnae is a website designed to help people know how and where to access their records from times when government, faith-based or other organisations were responsible for their guardianship or care. 'Creating a website with information that informs people about how to access their records is incredibly important and is something that we have been working on over the past year. Its design has been guided by survivors and people with lived experience,' said CAB Chief Executive Kerry Dalton. Survivors testified before the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care that they encountered delays, missing or heavily redacted information, and sometimes deliberately hidden or destroyed files. The Commission recommended the creation of a website that would guide survivors through what remains a complicated and challenging process. Kōnae makes requesting records easier. People can quickly find organisations holding their records through an interactive map and request them directly using an online form. Kōnae doesn't hold or manage any personal records. It provides clear steps and guidance on how to request records directly from the government or institutions that do or should hold people's records. Developed over the past year, it is an important resource that simplifies the complex processes involved in requesting records. 'Survivors have both a legal and moral right to access their records when and if they wish to do this – Kōnae now exists to help make this happen, says Ms Dalton.' The Royal Commission found that between 1950 and 2019, more than 655,000 children, young people, and adults spent time in places where government and faith-based organisations were responsible for their guardianship or care. Māori people made up a disproportionate number of those removed from whānau. Widespread, systemic abuse and neglect occurred in these places, impacting hundreds of thousands of people and generations of their families. 'Records can help people better understand decisions that were made about their guardianship or care. They can also serve as critical evidence for survivors seeking justice and redress,' said Ms Dalton. 'Hundreds of thousands of people in Aotearoa have had the experience of the state or another organisation making decisions about their guardianship or care. Our hope is the video will raise awareness of Kōnae so that people know that there is guidance to help them request and access their records.' The project was funded by the government but at the request of survivors was developed independently from government. 'The CAB has a long-standing commitment to empower people to understand and exercise their rights. We are deeply honoured to have been tasked with developing Kōnae,' said Ms Dalton. 'We took a survivor-led approach in designing Kōnae, including careful consideration of language. Survivors made it clear they did not want to normalise phrases like 'state care,' because, as one survivor shared, 'Care was the opposite of what happened to us',' said Ms Dalton. 'That's why we've chosen to say 'records' rather than 'care records,' and 'time spent in places like…' rather than 'being placed in care.'' The name Kōnae was inspired by a survivor who helped develop the website. Removed from home as a small boy he began searching for his records in the 1990s and now has a box that weighs more than 20 kilograms. 'He told us that finding his records was like hauling in a net that carries part of your life story. Hauling it in has taken ages, it is hard, and heavy but worth it. In te reo Māori, Kōnae refers to a file, a woven basket, and the belly of a fishing net – symbols of gathering, sifting, and keeping what's valuable. Kōnae embodies the process of reclaiming what matters, and offering users a place to recover, keep, or release parts of their history.' 'We know that alongside online information people sometimes want extra support from a person. The core CAB service of information and advice, provided by our 2,000 trained volunteers via our freephone number (0800 367 222) and from our 80 locations across Aotearoa is available to help people understand and access their rights and navigate Kōnae.'
Scoop
03-06-2025
- General
- Scoop
Your Rights, Your Records: CAB Highlights ‘Kōnae' A Website To Support People To Access Their Records
A moko's story of his koro retrieving personal records from when he lived in a children's home has been turned into a powerful 3-minute video story by the Citizens Advice Bureau to promote their launch of Kōnae: My Records Guide website. Kōnae is a website designed to help people know how and where to access their records from times when government, faith-based or other organisations were responsible for their guardianship or care. 'Creating a website with information that informs people about how to access their records is incredibly important and is something that we have been working on over the past year. Its design has been guided by survivors and people with lived experience,' said CAB Chief Executive Kerry Dalton. Survivors testified before the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care that they encountered delays, missing or heavily redacted information, and sometimes deliberately hidden or destroyed files. The Commission recommended the creation of a website that would guide survivors through what remains a complicated and challenging process. Kōnae makes requesting records easier. People can quickly find organisations holding their records through an interactive map and request them directly using an online form. Kōnae doesn't hold or manage any personal records. It provides clear steps and guidance on how to request records directly from the government or institutions that do or should hold people's records. Developed over the past year, it is an important resource that simplifies the complex processes involved in requesting records. 'Survivors have both a legal and moral right to access their records when and if they wish to do this - Kōnae now exists to help make this happen, says Ms Dalton.' The Royal Commission found that between 1950 and 2019, more than 655,000 children, young people, and adults spent time in places where government and faith-based organisations were responsible for their guardianship or care. Māori people made up a disproportionate number of those removed from whānau. Widespread, systemic abuse and neglect occurred in these places, impacting hundreds of thousands of people and generations of their families. 'Records can help people better understand decisions that were made about their guardianship or care. They can also serve as critical evidence for survivors seeking justice and redress,' said Ms Dalton. 'Hundreds of thousands of people in Aotearoa have had the experience of the state or another organisation making decisions about their guardianship or care. Our hope is the video will raise awareness of Kōnae so that people know that there is guidance to help them request and access their records.' The project was funded by the government but at the request of survivors was developed independently from government. 'The CAB has a long-standing commitment to empower people to understand and exercise their rights. We are deeply honoured to have been tasked with developing Kōnae,' said Ms Dalton. 'We took a survivor-led approach in designing Kōnae, including careful consideration of language. Survivors made it clear they did not want to normalise phrases like 'state care,' because, as one survivor shared, 'Care was the opposite of what happened to us',' said Ms Dalton. 'That's why we've chosen to say 'records' rather than 'care records,' and 'time spent in places like…' rather than 'being placed in care.'' The name Kōnae was inspired by a survivor who helped develop the website. Removed from home as a small boy he began searching for his records in the 1990s and now has a box that weighs more than 20 kilograms. 'He told us that finding his records was like hauling in a net that carries part of your life story. Hauling it in has taken ages, it is hard, and heavy but worth it. In te reo Māori, Kōnae refers to a file, a woven basket, and the belly of a fishing net - symbols of gathering, sifting, and keeping what's valuable. Kōnae embodies the process of reclaiming what matters, and offering users a place to recover, keep, or release parts of their history.' 'We know that alongside online information people sometimes want extra support from a person. The core CAB service of information and advice, provided by our 2,000 trained volunteers via our freephone number (0800 367 222) and from our 80 locations across Aotearoa is available to help people understand and access their rights and navigate Kōnae.'
