THE lifeline Citizens’ Advice Service (CAS) service helped more than 8000 struggling residents in Dumfries and Galloway last year.
And the support organisation managed to earn a financial gain totalling nearly £10m for these clients, many of whom found themselves in an emergency situation during the cost of living crisis.
CAS leaders attended Dumfries and Galloway Council’s tackling poverty, inequalities and housing sub-committee last week to share the findings of an in-depth cost of living study they carried out last year.
They also revealed some sobering stats to councillors around the huge reliance on the service and the financial difficulties faced by thousands across the region every week.
Christine Sinclair, operations manager for Dumfries and Galloway CAS, explained that there were 8165 clients across the whole service last year.
There were also 19,903 contacts – which equates to 55 requests for help per day.
She said: “These figures demonstrate just how many people we are helping in a year.
“A lot of these people that come to us don’t just need one contact with our advisors, it takes several contacts to resolve their issues.
“Also, they don’t just come to us with one issue either.
“They may in some instances seek assistance on one key issue, but because of the holistic approach that our advisors take and through additional chatting with clients, we are able to identify and then address multiple areas of issues they have.”
One of the headline figures in the citizens’ advice performance report for last year was that they managed to claw back/generate a financial gain totalling £9.9m for clients.
This money relates to benefits, debts relief, and obtaining financial support from elsewhere.
Christine added: “That’s not just money going back into the pockets of individuals, it’s also money going into the local economy in Dumfries and Galloway because much of that money is actually spent in local shops and is paying for services here.
“So, it has a bigger impact than just for individual clients.”
Dee and Glenkens Councillor Andy McFarlane highlighted “hidden poverty” within our communities where people are struggling to get by financially every week.
He added: “Is it possible to tell us how often you have to get involved in determining an outcome for residents where they’re dealing with benefits or welfare decisions that are made by the council – and how that’s adversely impacting upon them?”
Christine responded: “We don’t have exact figures to hand: most of the benefits decisions that we’re involved with, and are appealing against, are the disability benefits.
“Previously that was DWP but these are all transferring over to Scottish Social Security, so it tends to be these benefits (decisions) that we’re having to appeal against.
“Occasionally there are some around housing benefits or applications to the welfare fund, but it’s predominantly DWP and Scottish Social Security benefits.”
