Citizens Advice charities in Suffolk will face a funding cut of £20 000 next year,despite increasing need for the services they provide.
The cuts come as part of a savings plan for 2018-19 drawn up by the Conservative administration at Suffolk County Council. With a budget gap of £26.8m, it is clear that the Council will need to change and adapt in order to continue providing vital services to the residents of Suffolk. However, a cut of £20 000 to such a valuable service is short-sighted.
To make matters worse, Citizens Advice Bureaus across the UK are seeing an increase in the number of people requiring advice and support. Citizens Advice Mid Suffolk, one of 9 CABs in Suffolk, noted a 12% increase in clients requesting help in 2016/17 (3). Now is not the time to cut their funding.
“Suffolk County Council is supposed to protect our vulnerable residents, but cutting funding to Citizens Advice Bureaus is doing the exact opposite. These charities provide a lifeline to people across Suffolk – but they can’t do it without the financial support of the council.
It’s crazy that the council acknowledges how valuable the service provided by Citizens Advice is, and yet is still trying to cut their funding. Citizens Advice is the original ‘invest to save’ model. It is well known that CABs give a high return on investment by supporting vulnerable residents and contributing to their mental health and wellbeing. That’s exactly the kind of service the council needs to be investing more in.