£1.5 Million Boost For Advice Service

Scotland's advice service is to be given an extra £1.5 million to help it cope with demand in light of welfare reforms.

The money will allow Citizens Advice Bureaux to employ more staff, operate longer opening hours, provide more training for advisers and recruit more volunteers.

The Scottish Government funding comes on top of £2.5 million allocated to support Citizen Advice Scotland's Welfare Reform Mitigation Fund between 2013-2015.

The fund was set up to offer a range of services for local Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) across Scotland.

Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil said: Westminster's programme of austerity is placing intolerable strain on Scottish families and individuals. Many feel stressed, isolated and at their wits' end.

That is why supporting the provision of advice services is a central plank of the Scottish Government's approach to welfare reform mitigation.

Scottish citizens bureaux staff are dealing with an increased volume of calls with thousands of people seeking advice as UK Government welfare reform changes hit the most vulnerable.

CAB have an unequalled track record of delivering free expert, impartial advice and its national network of advice centres will ensure that this funding reaches every corner of Scotland.''

Margaret Lynch, chief executive, Citizen Advice Scotland, welcomed the funding.

This funding means that CAB are helping get money into the purses and pockets of our citizens, supporting people to navigate their way through a complicated benefits system, and signpost them to other much-needed services such as foodbanks,'' she said.

Bureaux see complicated cases and can be frustrated by maladministration, delays to benefits, and the sanctioning of benefits which lead to cases of destitution and desperation.

CAB advice has never been so needed and people know they can depend on us for support at their time of need.''