"Don't cut £25m of debt counselling..." blog discussion

RAS

I forgot to add to my comments above; get a few celebs involved Martin, apart from yourself.

After all, having Bragg, Porritt, uncle tom cobbly and all yelling for forests is working.

Call in a few favours?

fatbelly

RAS wrote: »

I forgot to add to my comments above; get a few celebs involved Martin, apart from yourself.

After all, having Bragg, Porritt, uncle tom cobbly and all yelling for forests is working.

Call in a few favours?

Good idea - I seem to remember Nick Park (Wallace & Gromit) being very helpful to a debt advice charity a few years ago.

debtworker

I was wondering if any celeb types would get involved. Imagine the sense of well being they would have. Like secret millionaire, but reported in Heat magazine! That would be awesome!!

:A

CarolAlexander-Reid

fatbelly wrote: »

Good idea - I seem to remember Nick Park (Wallace & Gromit) being very helpful to a debt advice charity a few years ago.

That was us, Bristol Debt Advice Centre! Nick Park was our patron for a number of years and a big supporter. We've even tried contacting Banksy!!

fatbelly

CarolAlexander-Reid wrote: »

That was us, Bristol Debt Advice Centre! Nick Park was our patron for a number of years and a big supporter. We've even tried contacting Banksy!!

I thought it was you but wanted to be a bit vague in case I was wrong!

Joe_Bloggs

Whose decision was it to cut/recommend the cut to the funding. Perhaps this can be found out from a freedom of information act request.

If it is known then can the reasoning behind the facts be explored perhaps by a judicial review.

J_B.

Saetana

MSE_Martin wrote: »

I have signed the petition

I have also signed it, hopefully if some of us make an effort to sign petitions for areas in which we do not live ourselves then the favour will be returned if and when petitions appear to save our own local advice centres. It is such a shame as we have only fairly recently got a full time CAB right in the city centre here in Bristol, I really hope this is not under threat as it is located within a reasonable distance for large numbers of residents.

swallow_tattoo

Sorry if this has already been said but my view is that a campaign should include opposing cuts to generalist CABs as people tend to be more familiar with them and their function. The service they offer also ties in with the "consumer revenge" element of MSE. A Facebook campaign is a good way to start as it is cheap and can become quite high profile relatively easily.

These services are so important - and I value them for exactly the same reason I value this site - they democratise knowledge to empower people to help themselves.

Martin - you complete me. :money:

ricbureau

The Labour government's Financial Inclusion Fund, backed by a five-year grant from the Treasury, worth £130m, £87m of which was allocated to Citizens Advice was a major success.

Client survey results are overwhelmingly positive about the FIF debt advice service suggesting the clients place a high value on the service they receive. Nearly nine out of ten (87%) clients report that the service met or exceeded their original hopes and expectations and more than nine out of ten (92%) would recommend the service to others. The results also suggest that FIF advice provides a service to those who would otherwise remain excluded. In Thetford alone advisors have managed £7.1 million worth of debts for clients this year, an increase of 8% on the amount of debt handled last year. Our specialist FIF adviser has helped 389 clients during the year in the Breckland area, almost double our projected target, and an increase of 39% on the number of clients seen last year. Most importantly, we have helped our clients to access nearly £1.1 million worth of extra income through benefit payments, grants, debts written off, employment compensation etc.
For those who do not know, Thetford is characterised by high financial exclusion. It is “an island of deprivation” which now displays many features associated with urban disadvantage but it is not big enough to have the knowledge, experience or critical mass to solve its own problems. Totally depends on collaboration with a host of different partners such as Keystone, Breckland Council and reliant on government initiatives such as FIF and Surestart to meet and support the needs of what is a large socio economically deprived population of mixed identity (21,603). In these challenging economic times
people of the Breckland area on low and moderate incomes are struggling to make ends meet at a time of increasing uncertainty about the security of their jobs and incomes, access to reliable, high quality, free, face to face independent money advice as provided by the FIF project has never been more vital.

Indeed the current year (2011) has already seen an increase in demand from clients for confidential debt advice services, help with negotiation with creditors and court representation for mortgage and secured loan arrears. It is unthinkable that despite a dramatic increase in debt enquiries, which now comprise 36% of the total amount of issues dealt with by the bureau ( 24% in 2009/10), the FIF project is to end (31st March 2011). More disconcertingly the double whammy of reduced funding from local authorities means any attempt by CAB to try to prolong the project themselves look bleak.

Mark Hoban (Financial Secretary) states “The Government remain committed to helping poorer households to access appropriate financial services, to improve their financial resilience and to avoid falling into unsustainable levels of debt." .
If the coalition government is truly committed to financial inclusion then continue with the FIF project.

Help empower citizens in difficult times!

natsplatnat

Get them to use some of the money they are getting from the tax levy they have just placed on banks?