CAB I’m concerned about my neighbour’s CCTV
I visited a local restaurant two weeks ago with my husband; a couple of hours later we were both very unwell, I think it was food poisoning. Who should we report this to?
Concerns about safety in food outlets should be reported to Renfrewshire Councils environmental health department, you can contact them by calling 0300 300 0380 or emailing them at b-serv. es@renfrewshire.gov.uk
For more serious cases of food poisoning, it is worth considering discussing a personal injury claim with a solicitor, perhaps on a “no win no fee” basis.
I look after my mum, recently her health has deteriorated and I’ve had to reduce my hours at work to look after her. How much can I earn and still be eligible to receive Carer’s Allowance?
If you spend at least 35 hours a week caring for your mum and she is in receipt of a “qualifying benefit” such as Attendance Allowance, the care component of Disability Living Allowance at the middle or higher rate or the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (at either rate), you may be entitled to receive Carer’s Allowance.
To get this benefit, paid at £69.70 per week, you can’t earn more than £132 a week at work (after deductions for income tax, national insurance contributions, and half of any pension contributions you make).
If you receive Carer’s Allowance, you would also receive the Carer’s Allowance Supplement, a twiceyearly payment of £237.90.
Even people who earn too much for Carer’s Allowance may be able to get an additional amount of Universal Credit because they are a carer.
As your financial circumstances have changed recently you may find it beneficial to get in touch with the bureau so we can conduct a benefit check to make sure you are receiving all the support you are entitled to.
You can contact us on 0141 889 2121 or you can visit www. renfrewshirecab.org.uk to make an appointment.
My neighbour recently put CCTV up in his garden. I wouldn’t mind but it’s pointed at my garden, it feels like an invasion of my privacy. Is there anything I can do?
If you feel comfortable you may find talking to your neighbour about this informally might resolve the issue, they might be happy to change the direction of their cameras.
Your neighbour will have to comply with data protection laws if his camera is covering an area out with his private property.
As the camera is pointing into your garden it’s likely to capture images of yourself/other family members, so you have rights under data protection laws.
These rights include being told that the CCTV system is being used; usually you can be notified by signs which are clearly visible and legible.
You can ask your neighbour to erase any personal data they hold about you, and you can ask for a copy of any information they hold about you by masking a subject access request.
You can make this request verbally or in writing.
For more information on your rights and your neighbour’s responsibilities in regards to data protection visit: https://ico.org.uk/ your-data-matters/domestic-cctvsystems-guidance-for-people-beingfilmed/