Youth Access

Advice Week coalition highlights discrimination advice gap

12 October, 2010

 
Public feel unable to challenge discrimination, says leading advice coalition
Press release
11th October 2010

Discrimination is the problem people are least likely to seek help with says the Working Together for Advice Coalition (Advice Services Alliance, AdviceUK, Age UK, Citizens Advice, Law Centres Federation and Youth Access) as they launch Advice Week 2010.

Research has revealed that one in three people experiencing discrimination do nothing about it. Of these, two thirds say they wanted to act, but felt unable to. In a bid to address this, the charities are today launching a new short film to highlight people’s new rights in relation to discrimination and where they can seek free support and advice.

The launch is part of Advice Week 2010 – a week dedicated to championing the difference made by advice agencies in England. This year, Advice Week is focusing on discrimination, as the Equality Act 2010 comes into force on 1 October 2010. The new legislation will strengthen and simplify previous discrimination legislation.

The new film shows clients who have suffered discrimination and how advice has helped them take action and turn a bad situation round. The film is available on YouTube and all of the networks advice websites. There will also be an event at the House of Commons to raise awareness among MPs and Peers about discrimination issues. Watch the film.

Advice Services Alliance Director, Richard Jenner, said:
“The advice sector has an important role to play in building a fairer society. Working together, we provide people facing discrimination with information, advice and representation. We want people to know about our work and how we can help them.”

Steve Johnson, Chief Executive of AdviceUK said:
“The old saying ‘rights have no value without the means to enforce them’ is as true as ever. Access to good advice provides the means to take on those who discriminate, but spending cuts have placed many advice services in jeopardy. We hope Advice Week will serve as a reminder that rights advice is part of the fabric of cohesive communities and Big Society.”

Michelle Mitchell, Charity Director of Age UK, said:
“Ageism is the most commonly experienced form of discrimination in the UK, but it is often not recognised or taken seriously. For the first time the Equality Act offers legal protection against age discrimination in the provision of goods and services. It will be crucial that high quality advice is available to older people so that they can use the legislation to challenge the unequal treatment they experience.”

Citizens Advice Chief Executive Gillian Guy, said:
“Citizens Advice Bureaux in England and Wales helped with over 28,000 discrimination enquiries last year (2009/10) yet far too many people still aren’t aware of their rights or how to challenge it. Discrimination is a distressing experience, which can leave people feeling isolated and helpless. But Citizens Advice bureaux and other agencies can explain the law and help you take action if you want to. Don’t put up with it. Get advice.” 

Julie Bishop, Director, Law Centres Federation said:
“No one should feel powerless in the face of discrimination. Last year, Sheffield Law Centre helped a young disabled man to take on one of the UK’s biggest banks over wheelchair access. With our help, he won the case and set a new legal precedent which will help many other disabled people in the future.”

Barbara Rayment, Director of Youth Access – the youth advice network – said: 
“Research evidence indicates that young people experience the highest levels of discrimination, with age discrimination being the most prevalent form. However, young people tend to fare particularly badly when trying to enforce their rights and the current economic climate threatens to lead to a further deterioration in their access to advice. We are encouraging youth advice agencies to participate in Advice Week 2010 by promoting their services locally and by joining up with other advice agencies to develop joint local solutions to the unmet advice needs of vulnerable young people.”

-ends-

For more information contact the Citizens Advice press office - 0207 833 7078 or at press.office@Citizensadvice.org.uk

Notes to editors:

The Working Together for Advice project involves six national charities. They are the Advice Services Alliance, AdviceUK, Age UK, Citizens Advice, Law Centres Federation and Youth Access.

The project's main aim is to build the capacity, strength and independence of the advice sector by: increasing access to advice, enhancing the quality of advice, demonstrating the value of advice and improving the efficiency of advice services.

The project was funded by the Big Lottery Fund for three years, ending in 2010.

About the research
The research report called ‘Knowledge, capability and experience of rights problems’ was commissioned by the Public Legal Education Network and the research was conducted by the Legal Services Research Centre, the independent research wing of the Legal Services Commission. The report uses data from the English and Welsh Civil and Social Justice Survey (CSJS) - a large scale face-to-face survey of over 10,000 people, covering their experience of and response to a broad range of civil justice problems. The CSJS is a nationally representative survey of the adult population of England and Wales.

For more information about the advice agencies, please go to their website:
ASA: www.asauk.org.uk.
AdviceUK. www.adviceuk.org.uk
Age UK http://www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-press/
Citizens Advice www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
Law Centres Federation. www.lawcentres.org.uk
Youth Access: www.youthaccess.org.uk

Member Profile: The Junction Foundation

10 May, 2012

  Background - Making a positive difference to the...

New support service for Youth Access members

07 March, 2012

  Providing advice on housing and homelessness? The...

Member Profile: Youth Start

27 February, 2012

  Background Youth Start is a Rotherham Youth...