Citizens Advice Scotland’s recession-fuelled workload hits new heights, says Trust Deed Scotland

United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland -- Free-Press-Release.com-- Feb 3, 2012 -- In recent figures published by Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS), it details having to deal with a new issue for every minute of the day during the last 12 months, in total some 560,303 issues , with those related to debt and welfare showing the biggest increase in workload of all.

Debt-related cases make up some 26% of all issues (an increase of nearly 3% since the same time the previous year), while the welfare and benefits system has increased by 8%. But the biggest overall increase in 2010/2011 involved Employment & Support Allowance, which has increased by a whopping 33%.

Susan McPhee, Head of Policy at CAS, said: “Financial advice has always been a big part of what we do, but there has been a huge growth in the numbers of people struggling with debt and low income. Prices are rising all the time – for example fuel bills - and peoples’ incomes are just not keeping up with that, so many of them are turning to loan sharks and payday loans, which of course make their situation even worse. CAB waiting rooms are seeing more people than ever, and we’ve had to increase our numbers of money advisers all round the country.”

However, behind the good work CAS does is real worry over how it can continue to manage on the funding it has while its workload continues to increase year on year.

“CAS estimates that total funding in the current financial year for citizens advice bureaux in Scotland will reduce by 9% and we will struggle to maintain current services. We are further concerned that the outlook for 2012/13 could reduce resources further and cause services to be cut or squeezed even further,” said Susan.

Part of CAS’ work sees them helping in many cases where money is involved, and the latest figures revealed that for every £1 of funding CAS received its clients regained £8 . This could be in compensation, lost wages or just making sure they are claiming all the benefits they are entitled to.  This is in addition to its debt and welfare advice, which is estimated to save society a lot more by helping reduce the social and financial costs of bankruptcy and homelessness.

A spokesperson for Scottish Debt Solutions Company, Trust Deed Scotland, said: “CAS does an amazing amount of good work in Scotland and these figures are shocking, especially the figures for Employment & Support Allowance. This is the benefit payment that goes to people who cannot work due to sickness or disability, which suggests that the most vulnerable in Scottish Society are hurt the most by the recent welfare reforms.”

This seems to be borne out by CAS’ records of welfare assistance. This takes the form of extra support, such as food parcels, for some of the poorest in Scottish society, and CAS has seen the number of applications for support double during the period the report was compiled for.

“When you combine the welfare assistance records with CAS’ 58% increase in attendance at welfare tribunals, there are a lot of people suffering out there who need an organisation such as CAS,” said the spokesperson.

“They can help make sure their voice gets heard and fight their corner, especially when they are heavily in debt or on very low incomes.”

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Trust Deed Scotland
David Edwards
0141 345 2904
http://www.scottishtrustdeed.co.uk