Citizens Advice needs your support

by adamboyden on 25 March, 2019

Citizens Advice Mendip gives vital and cost-effective advice and support to over 4,000 residents a year on issues such as debt, housing, Universal Credit and other benefits, employment, legal and family problems. Last autumn Tory-run Somerset County Council slashed £98,000 of funding for Citizens Advice Mendip, a 21% cut in its budget, which threatened drastic cuts to their services.

I lobbied Mendip and Frome councils to do what they could to help. Mendip recently agreed to increase their current funding by £28k over 18 months (see here), but there has been no additional help from Frome Town Council (who have granted £6000 a year for three years).

Recently I and local campaigner Janine Croft paid a visit to their office in Frome to see the effects of the cuts. Citizens Advice have lost 4 staff and had to end the successful GP ‘social prescription’ service – where people with relevant problems were referred directly from their doctor. I and other Lib Dems know the value of Citizens Advice to thousands of residents, and it is vital that local councils and our local community supports the service better in future. Please see Mendip Citizens Advice’s website
https://www.citizensadvicemendip.org.uk/ to seek advice or offer your support.

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