More CAB closures likely
fatbelly
Posts: 20,486 Forumite
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It never ceases to amaze me how governments/councils try to save money by cutting vital services to the poorest people in society, not everyone can access help on the internet, it’s a shocking endictment of how they view the public in general.I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Debt free wannabe, Credit file and ratings, and Bankruptcy and living with it boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.For free non-judgemental debt advice, contact either Stepchange, National Debtline, or CitizensAdviceBureaux.Link to SOA Calculator- https://www.stoozing.com/soa.php The "provit letter" is here-https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2607247/letter-when-you-know-nothing-about-about-the-debt-aka-prove-it-letter0
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The cab offices have always been on borrowed time in Cornwall, none are open full time and you have to make an appointment to see someone usually weeks after you actually need help,
This is just scratching the surface of planned cuts and removal of essential services, central government and Cornwall council are signing the death warrants on a lot of folks with there plan to move essential services like radiation therapy out of Cornwall to Devon putting strain on there services, while cutting hospital transport available.
Dark days ahead for everyone regardless of where you live sadly.0 -
The sums involved here are relatively small. In Newbury it's 80k a year, which is probably less than the salary of the West Berkshire council CEO. In Cornwall, for the whole county, it's 200k.
In both cases surely there is some room for movement on both sides. At least it sounds like West Berkshire are offering (free?) office space to mitigate the effects of the cut. Maybe Cornwall Council could look more closely at the fees they charge Cit A Cornwall at Penzance, Truro, Newquay and St Austell, and offer venues to prevent closure in Saltash, Falmouth and Bodmin0 -
There's a petition in relation to Cornwall
http://chn.ge/2B4sXVJ
Please sign
If Newbury want to start one, please post it here. Until then, you may wish to let West Berkshire Council know direct what you think of the proposal
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/BP1819-CitizensAdviceWestBerkshire
The question is
How far do you agree with the proposal to reduce the annual core funding to CAWB from £120,000 to £40,000 for 2018/19?
Agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Disagree
Don't know0 -
Cornwall Council have now opened a 'similar' survey here, but one phrased much more weasily. Try this for size:Do you agree with the Cabinet's proposal to reinstate a grant fund of £153,000, which was previously planned to reduce from £356,531 to nil, to fund Citizens Advice Cornwall (CAC) for the next three years?
Yes
No
If you tick yes, you approve a cut to 153k
If you tick no, you approve a cut to zero
Nice one, Cornwall Council.
CLAP CLAP CLAP0 -
I dare say the service will end up down the pub with the library, if anyone thinks I'm joking Google micro library Cornwall your be amazed at the services our local publicans are picking up for the community.
Wouldn't hurt the duchy to wade into the argument they house the liskeard CAB in there old offices, guessing that why they are not at risk of closure0 -
Citizens Advice Cornwall may be OKCornwall’s Citizens Advice will not have to close seven of its nine offices next year, as Cornwall Council’s ruling Liberal Democrat-Independent administration wobbles over a proposed 53% cut to the charity’s annual grant.
Instead, the council is now on course to either provide free office accommodation for Citizens Advice, saving the charity thousands of pounds in rent, or more likely restores the full £356,000 cash grant.
The climb-down follows a realisation that the Liberal Democrats and Independents simply do not have the numbers to force their original budget through a meeting of the full council. A formal announcement will probably follow the conclusion of an online public consultation, which is due to end on 15th January.
Two scrutiny committee meetings this week appear to have wrecked the cabinet’s original proposal for a Citizens Advice grant of only £150,000. First the Economy committee, and then the Customers’ committee, voted unanimously to call for the full value of the grant to be restored, with the money coming from higher than expected levels of council tax collections.
The council’s largest group, the Conservatives, believes the value provided by Citizens Advice far outweighs its modest cost to the council. The Tories appear happy to support what on Monday started as a Labour proposal. During the week, growing numbers of Liberal Democrat and Independent councillors echoed concern that the Citizens Advice service is too valuable to lose.
Martin Eddy, Liberal Democrat councillor for St Cleer, said Citizens Advice provided “a real safety net” for people in Cornwall “and we need to support that safety net as much as we can, particularly with the introduction of Universal Credit into Cornwall.”
The cabinet’s budget proposals have to be approved by a meeting of the full council, and the ruling administration now appears to accept that it cannot rely on the votes of its own members.
Councillor Julian German, deputy leader of the council, is to hold further talks with Citizens Advice to see if the offer of vacant office space will, in terms of value, restore the full grant. If not, the full council will be asked to stump up the cash, for one year only, to allow Citizens Advice time to redesign its service
“The last Council voted to cut funding for Citizens Advice Cornwall (CAC) to zero from April,” said Mr German. “While we have a tough challenge to find £75 million of savings, on top of £300 million already delivered, we are committed to securing a sustainable future for CAC
I hope Newbury is too, but there seems no good news yet and the offer of free office space was unsuitable (space in a public area!-The council clearly has no understanding of the word 'confidential')
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-424103240 -
Cornwall Citizens Advice seems to have agreed to accept a 20k cut over each of the next three years
https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2018-01-24/funding-secured-for-citizens-advice-cornwall/
Their CEO comments that it was better than originally proposed. However, a cut is still a cut and, unless they were running at a surplus of 60k per year up to now, surely bits of their service will have to drop off.
In Newbury the situation remains a problem. Feel free to vote here
https://www.newburytoday.co.uk/poll/poll/23293/how-much-money-should-the-council-give-citizens-advice-west-berkshire.html0
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