Citizens Advice launches campaign to challenge proposed council funding slash.

Yesterday, Citizens Advice Havering (CAH) launched a campaign to challenge Havering Council’s proposal to withdraw its full grant of £129,000 to the charity.  The proposal was published as part of the Council’s 2023 budget consultation, which is open until 30 December 2022.

Launching the campaign, Sue Dix, Chair of Citizens Advice Havering, said: “We truly value our partnership with LB Havering and have worked closely with the Council since we were founded in 1939.  We understand the pressure they are under but believe this proposal is a mistake.  If implemented, our services may need to close, robbing Havering’s residents of their main advice provider. We fear our most vulnerable people will be left with nowhere to turn.” 

Sheila Clarke, Treasurer of Citizens Advice Havering, said: “We think the Council’s proposals are short-sighted and will not deliver the savings that are hoped for.  Many of our clients turn their lives around following the advice they get from us.  During the last financial year alone, this created £1,442,496 in fiscal benefit, £10,245,737 in public value and £5,512,149 worth of financial outcomes for our clients.  All for just £129,000 investment from LB Havering.  Cutting our advice provision will cost the Council much more in the long run.” 

CAH Chief Executive Susanne Rauprich said: “This proposal could not have come at a worse time as we all struggle to meet the rising costs of food, energy, rent and mortgages, and many other things.Already we are seeing demand soar and many more people coming to us for debt and benefit advice.  Not only that, the issues that people bring are getting more complex and an increasing number of our clients show signs of stress and challenges to their mental health.  The provision of advice is an easy and effective way to help people cope in difficult situations.”

The campaign will draw on CAH’s statistics and the real-life experience of service users to show how vital Citizens Advice is to lives in Havering.

Anyone who has an experience of Citizens Advice in Havering is encouraged to contribute to the consultation and share their story.