Local CABs are Essential
Local CABs are an Essential Compass when Navigating Social Security
by Erica Young, member of the CAS Social Justice team.
This article was first published in The Herald on 26 September 2026.
Acknowledging the need for help when living with a long-term health condition or disability is a profoundly challenging step to take for most people.
Formalising that need through a social security application can feel daunting. As people adapt and strive not to be constrained by their health condition, they may not recognise that they are entitled to support that could be life changing.
Across Scotland, our advisers are delivering free, confidential and impartial advice that’s helping to break down barriers to accessing help from Scotland’s social security system. With expertise and empathy, they are restoring people’s confidence and sense of self-worth alongside securing essential income.
Our advisers’ understanding of the scarring impact of the stigma that surrounds social security is changing outcomes for people like Benjamin. Benjamin lived with severely restricted mobility and chronic pain for more than a decade before he was assisted by his local CAB to access social security.
This enabled him to gain a greater degree of control over his health, and to overcome everyday challenges such as accessing hospital car parking. This was possible because his CAB adviser talked Benjamin through the available help and addressed his concerns, shared by many, that claiming it would unfairly deny support to others with greater need.
The application process can feel overwhelming for people in vulnerable circumstances. Our advisers guide people through it step-by-step. I was privileged to interview Janet, who received help to apply for Adult Disability Payment (ADP). She lives with spinal atrophy and hypermobility, necessitating the use of a walking aid.
Her initial reaction to the application process was “I couldn’t face it. I didn’t know where to start”.
Like many people that we support, Janet was confused by the application form. She was not clear about what information, and what level of detail, was needed. The questions felt repetitive to her. She found the experience unnerving since, as she explained “normally I am the one that helps friends and family with forms and administration”.
Janet’s adviser broke down the questions, providing examples of the situations they were intended to explore. These conversations helped Janet to recognise the relevance of, for example, the assistance she needs with toileting and bathing; “I’m so used to that, I’d never have mentioned it”. Janet found it easier to talk through her circumstances than describe them on paper, and the adviser helped ensure her application fully reflected her needs.
By deepening people’s understanding of how decisions about social security applications are made, CAB advisers help to reduce the frustration and distress that unsuccessful applications can cause - while enabling people to challenge decisions where necessary.
A review led by Sir Stephen Timms is examining the support available to disabled people through the UK social security system. As this review moves towards making recommendations this autumn, significant changes to social security are on the horizon, with potentially far-reaching implications across the UK.
The Citizens Advice network in Scotland is uniquely placed to support people to find their way, serving as a trusted compass to navigate a shifting support landscape. The skills of our advisers, always indispensable, have rarely been so crucial.