Citizens Advice Cornwall gets £19k grant amid surge in calls for help during lockdown
It will buy new computer servers and screens, giving staff working from home the capacity to handle 30% more calls
Citizens Advice Cornwall has been awarded a £19,000 grant to help more struggling families during lockdown.
The charity has seen a surge in demand from people experiencing problems with debts, benefits and relationship breakdowns.
Its team have supported almost 4,000 between March and November and are expecting even more contacts as the Covid-19 pandemic continues.
The cash from the Cornwall Community Foundation will pay for new computer servers and screens, allowing staff working from home to handle 30% more calls.
"We are very grateful for this generous grant from CCF. We are expecting a big increase in demand for help as the full effects of the lockdown begin to bite and when Government support, such bans on tenant repossessions and help for businesses and self-employed people comes to an end.
"We are already seeing more members of the public coming to us with debt, benefits, housing, employment and relationship breakdown issues so this new equipment will be vital in helping us help people overcome their problems."
Citizens Advice Cornwall Chief Executive, Gill Pipkin
Since last year's lockdown in March to November 2020, the charity helped 3,800 people across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly with 17,400 issues.
These included 3,900 about debt, 3,700 about benefits and 2,700 about Universal Credit.
The new equipment will increase capacity to handle calls by around 30%.
"The new servers will allow our advisers to carry out more video appointments and digital phone sessions from home and the additional screens will allow them to see clients face-to-face while accessing the information they need on a second monitor".
Citizens Advice Cornwall Chief Executive, Gill Pipkin
Staff at the public venues, which include community centres, libraries and foodbanks, will help people operate the computers if needed.
CA Cornwall is developing a network of Citizens Advice Help Points across the county, which will allow people to book online sessions with advisers and look up the information they need if they don't have a home computer.
The network now includes venues in Torpoint, Launceston, Bude, Stenalees, St Ives, Pendeen and St Mary's on the Isles of Scilly and will become fully operational as lockdown restrictions ease.