The Consumer Council Newsroom

Consumer Council Launches Consumer Skills For Life

Monday 22 June 2009

The Consumer Council is today launching its new education resource ‘Consumer Skills for Life’. It is the first consumer resource in Northern Ireland that has been developed to help the one in four adults with low literacy and numeracy skills here[a].  It is designed for adult education tutors and staff who are working on family and health projects in the community and voluntary sectors.

Carol Edwards, Head of Education at the Consumer Council said, “Whether it’s paying our bills or checking our change at the till, we all use numbers on a daily basis.  But some people struggle to do the kind of basic sums that are essential to everyday living.  Consumer Skills for Life will help tutors raise awareness of money issues and consumer rights and responsibilities among their learners. Empowered consumers can save on average £219 per year[b] by knowing their consumer rights.  That’s a lot of money that could make all the difference when it comes to paying your weekly or monthly bills.    

“Tutors using this pack can teach people the skills to:

·        Work out their family budget and make savings;

·        Compare costs and credit prices for buying goods like furniture; and

·        Make a complaint in person, on the phone and by letter.”

Tutors can request a free copy of Consumer Skills for Life from the Consumer Council by phoning 028 9067 2488 or downloading a copy from the website www.consumercouncil.org.uk.   Everything in the pack can be photocopied.

L-R are: Siobhan Doherty, Director of the Northern Ireland Rural Women's Network (NIRWN) and Board member of the Rural Community Network, Nora Smith, Policy Officer from NIRWN, Joyce McMullan, Support Officer from the Rural Development Council and Nora Quigley from the Consumer Council.

L-R: BBC On Your Behalf presenter Linda McAuley, Ann Osborne Head of Communication & Quality at EGSA, Carol Edwards, Head of Education at the Consumer Council and Paula Reynolds, Director (Member Services) at NICVA.

Notes to the editor

·         The Consumer Skills for Life pack contains 18 lesson plans, support materials for learners and answers for tutors.  The exercises can be used with individuals, pairs or in a group. 

·         The Consumer Council has a series of resources on their website www.consumercouncil.org.uk on consumer rights, how to get the best deals and how to make your money go further.  

·         The International Adult Literacy Survey (1996) showed that around 24 percent of the working age population of Northern Ireland (over 250,000 people based on current estimates of working age population) were operating at the lowest levels of literacy.  The evidence shows that poor literacy and numeracy have profound negative impacts on a society at a number of levels: the individual, the family, the community and the economy.[c]

·          Essential Skills needs are known to be high among the following groups: unemployed people; benefit claimants; prisoners and people on probation and low-skilled people in employment.[d]

·         In general, consumers from the following groups tend to lack knowledge of their rights and are less confident as consumers:

•  Young Consumers
• Older Consumers
• Consumers with a disability
• Consumers on a low income or living in an area of social deprivation
• Consumers from an ethnic and/or minority group.[e]

1. Consumer Council media contact: Paula Gunn, telephone, 028 9067 4816 or e-mail, pgunn@consumercouncil.org.uk. 
2. The Consumer Council is an independent consumer organisation, working to bring about change to benefit Northern Ireland’s consumers. The Council campaigns for high standards of service and protection and a fair deal for all. It also carries out research, gives advice and publishes reports and other publications. It deals with individual complaints about buses, trains, planes, ferries, natural gas, electricity, coal and water.
3. For more information, visit our website at www.consumercouncil.org.uk

Related Documents

• Consumer Skills for Life - 20.9MB PDF Document