ASK CAB Do we need to accept a smart meter?
It was recently my niece’s birthday and as usual I sent her a birthday card in the post with a £50 cash. My niece has let me know that the card and money didn’t arrive. I sent it over two weeks ago so it’s clearly lost. Can I make a claim against the Royal Mail?
It will depend on how you posted the card. To get compensation you need to have proof of postage such as a receipt.
If you posted the card in a post-box you unfortunately won’t be able to claim compensation. If you do have proof of postage, you can see the Royal Mail’s compensation policy at the following webpage: www.royalmail.com/retailcompensation-policy-loss
My energy provider has recently been in touch trying to convince me to let them install a smart meter. I’m reluctant to do so but they are rather insistent. Is it a legal requirement?
It’s not a legal requirement so you don’t have to accept a smart meter if you don’t want one.
If you for example currently have an old unsafe meter that needs replaced, you might find you don’t have a lot of options other than accepting a smart meter. This is because your provider might not have any old-style meters in stock.
You could check with your provider whether they would offer the option to have a smart meter installed with the extra functionality switched off.
So that would mean that the smart meter would work in the same way as your current meter without sending additional information to your provider.
If you need more support with this please get in touch with our energy team by calling 0141 889 2121 or emailing us at ren-bureau@ paisleycab.casonline.org.uk
I’ve recently retired and my income consists of my state pension and a small works pension. My annual income is approximately £11,000 a year as my small work pension is being taxed. I thought I wouldn’t have to pay tax on this as my income is not high. How can I resolve this?
Your personal allowance (the amount you can have in taxable earnings before paying tax) is for most people, £12,570 in this tax year. Therefore, if your total income is £11,000, it sounds as though there may be an issue with your tax code.
This might be a problem that could be quite easily fixed by phoning and speaking to HMRC on their enquiry line: 0300 200 3500.
However, if you feel you are not getting anywhere with HMRC with your tax query, there are other charities who offer specialist advice on tax.
We would recommend you contact Tax Help for Older Adults as they provide tax advice to people aged around 60 years old or above.
You can contact them by calling 01308 488066.
For people who are working age tax payers, the University of Edinburgh runs a clinic in partnership with TaxAid that provides free, expert, independent, confidential advice on tax issues.
People can phone the clinic on 0345 120 3779, and lines are open on Fridays, 9am to 4pm.
Depending on your household circumstances (e.g. other sources of household income, savings etc) you may be entitled to some additional support such as pension credit.
To find out more we would suggest getting in touch with our Welfare Rights Team who can conduct a benefit check.
You can make an appointment by calling 0141 889 2121 or emailing ren-bureau. paisleycab.casonline.org.uk