Extra cash to help poverty-stricken Scots.
Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) will receive almost £1.5 million extra next year to alleviate Westminster’s welfare reform changes, Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil confirmed today. The Scottish Government funding comes on top of £2.5 million it has allocated to support CAS’s Welfare Reform Mitigation Fund between 2013-2015.

The fund was established to offer a range of services for local Bureaux across Scotland, including additional resources to support the move to online claims. The additional £1.5 million will allow CAB to employ more staff, operate longer opening ho provide more training for advisers and recruit more volunteers across the 200 CAB service points in operation across Scotland.

According to CAS, in the first year over 17,500 people were helped with over 55,000 issues. The service now sees an additional 6,000 clients every three months thanks to Scottish Government funding. The top three areas which clients have requested help with have been benefits, debt and tax issues. However, CAB advisers are able to provide support on a wide range of other issues.

The Scottish Government has set aside £104 million in next year’s budget to tackle poverty and inequalities including £33 million to the Scottish Welfare Fund.

Mr Neil was meet by Citizens Advice Scotland CEO, Margaret Lynch and Citizens Advice Edinburgh CEO, Moira Tasker as well as CAB volunteers and staff on his visit to Leith Citizens Advice Bureaux, 12 Bernard Street, Edinburgh.

Pic Caption
Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil with Citizens Advice Volunteer Morag Park




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