All Blog Posts

If your heating's broken, damp is spreading across the walls, or you've got a leak that's been ignored for weeks, you don't have to just live with it. In a private rented home, your landlord is responsible for keeping the property safe and liveable. In legal terms it means the property has to meet the Repairing Standard and the Tolerable Standard . That includes: Heating and hot water Leaks and water damage Damp and mould Unsafe electrics Structural problems (walls, roof, win

Council Tax funds services like rubbish collection, street lighting, schools, and social care, and according to Citizens Advice Scotland, Council Tax arrears are the largest single debt issue that local advice services deal with. The average debt owed can be close to three times the average annual Council Tax bill. That's a significant burden on individuals and families already stretched to breaking point. If your Council Tax is starting to feel unmanageable, or you’re confus

Every year on 20 February, communities around the world mark World Day of Social Justice, a day established by the United Nations to promote equality, decent work, poverty reduction, and human rights. Empowering Inclusion: Bridging Gaps for Social Justice This year's theme, Empowering Inclusion: Bridging Gaps for Social Justice, couldn't feel more relevant and calls on all of us to break down the barriers that deny equal rights and stop people from living full, dignified live

Food is not a luxury, it's a human right. Today is Human Rights Day, a day when we're invited to look again at what human dignity really means. For many people in Hamilton and across South Lanarkshire, that question starts with something very basic. Can I afford enough food this week? But basic necessities like food, shelter, and dignity aren't luxuries. They're rights. Food is a human right, not a luxury The Universal Declaration of Human Rights says that everyone has the ri

Every year on International Volunteers Day, we pause to recognise the people who power organisations like ours. At Hamilton Citizens Advice Bureau, volunteers are at the heart of everything we do. They ensure our community has access to free, confidential, high-quality advice during some of the most challenging moments in people’s lives. Our volunteer impact 2025-2026 speaks for itself, and it shows just how vital volunteering is to Hamilton CAB, our clients, and the wider co

The worry of dealing with energy debt in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire. Across Hamilton and South Lanarkshire, thousands of families are struggling with energy debt, and many don't know about the range of help that’s available. Almost one in five (19%) Scottish households are now in energy debt or arrears, which is more than double the 9% recorded in 2024. And debt isn't the only issue. More than a third (38%) of households in Scotland say they can't afford to heat their home t

Our Carers Rights guide is all about helping you to understand what you're entitled to and to feel confident asking for it. Every day, 12,000 people across the UK become unpaid carers, while the latest figures estimate that around 722,000 unpaid carers are living in Scotland, including 23,000 young carers. Many people who care for a family member or friend don’t even think of themselves as “carers” we're just helping someone we love. If you're providing regular unpaid care, y

This coming Thursday marks World Kindness Day, and it's the perfect moment to pause and reflect on something simple yet powerful, we never truly know what someone is going through. The Stories Behind the Faces Every day in our community, we pass people whose lives are far more complex than we might imagine. The person queuing beside you at the supermarket could be navigating challenges you'd never guess from the outside. They might be managing a chronic illness, have been mad

Trustees' Week is here, and it's time to celebrate the nearly one million trustees across the UK who give their time, energy and passion to help charities thrive. Trustees’ Week runs from Monday 3rd to Friday 7th November 2025, and in our communities we have a lot to celebrate. It’s a moment to say a massive thank you to our local trustees but it’s also an opportunity to show you how your unique perspective, experiences, and skills could be exactly what a local charity board

Talking about money can feel awkward. Whether it's at the kitchen table with family, down the pub with mates, or even in our own heads when we're lying awake at 3am worrying about bills, money often feels like the elephant in the room. But what if simply starting a conversation could be the first step toward feeling more in control of your finances? You're Not Alone in Your Money Worries Money can still be a difficult subject to talk about. Recent research from the Money and

In our busy lives, it's easy to get caught up in daily routines but there’s something we all need to be extra mindful of. Scams. Many of us have received a suspicious text about a parcel delivery or a too-good-to-be-true offer on social media and scams remain a growing problem across Scotland. In 2025-26, an estimated 14,200 cyber-crimes were recorded by the police in Scotland. Nearly twice as much as the pre pandemic year 2019-2020. The true scale goes beyond crimes reported

Feeling left behind in our increasingly digital world? If you've ever felt overwhelmed by smartphones, struggled to fill in an online form, worried about scams, or found it difficult to apply for jobs online because you're not confident on the internet, you’re certainly not the only one. Get Online Week, organised by the Good Things Foundation, runs from the 19th to 25th October this year, and is the UK's largest digital inclusion campaign, helping thousands of people discove

Winter in Scotland can be tough, and with energy costs remaining high, keeping warm continues to be a real challenge for many households. But we don't have to face it all on our own. Our community has tremendous power to help each other through difficult times, and sometimes the simplest gestures make the biggest difference. The reality we're facing in South Lanarkshire In South Lanarkshire, tens of thousands of households are living in fuel poverty. For many people, keeping