The Common Advice Performance Monitoring Reporting Framework Annual Report

The CAPMRF measures key performance indicators for welfare and money advice services funded by Scottish Local Authorities on both an in-house and commissioned basis. The report aims to help ‘tell the story’ of the value of advice services, as well as provide a mechanism for councils to benchmark their performance and identify scope to further improve the impact and value for money of these services.

The findings from this report show the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and how advice services managed to maintain delivery of their services throughout this period.

• Services continued to support some of the most vulnerable members of society, despite the challenges faced throughout this period.
• Delivery of these services were predominantly over the phone and digitally, compared with the dominance of face-to-face seen in previous reports.
• Despite an overall reduction in client numbers during the reporting year, local authority investment in money and welfare rights advice services continues to deliver substantial financial benefits to clients

The report has shown that in 2020/21:

• Local Authorities invested approximately £27.1m in money and welfare rights advice services.
• 42% of initial contacts to services were made via web channels, compared with just 1% the previous year.
• Despite an overall reduction in client numbers during the reporting year, services achieved significant financial gains for clients. Every £1 invested in money and welfare rights advice provision by Local Authorities in Scotland provides financial gains of £12 for clients.

The 7th annual national overview report of the Common Advice Performance Monitoring Reporting Framework (CAPMRF) has today been published on the Improvement Service website and can be accessed here. You will also find an excel workbook with the summary statistics used in the national report, alongside the individual local authority reports.