Plea for help as Citizens Advice service struggles with demand

The free advice service expects demand to increase when furlough and the universal credit top-ups end

An increase in the number of people struggling with debt and benefits problems has led a charity to appeal for more volunteers to help.

Citizens Advice in Wyre Forest, Worcestershire, said it had seen a 24% rise in the number of people coming to it for help over the past year.

With the furlough scheme set to end, the service expects to get even busier.

The service is not meeting demand and so needs more volunteers, chief executive Elaine Lowe said.

"There is an awful lot of people now accessing our service for the first time.

"These are people who have not been in debt before, or never had to use the benefit system before and it's really hard for them to pick up the phone and ask for help."

The service is looking for volunteers who can spare eight hours per week

For the year ending March 2020, the advice service had 4,985 clients of whom 512 were new.

Last year the service dealt with 6,817 callers of whom 2,159 were new.

Case study provided by Citizens Advice

J is 47 and has been in continuous employment despite having no formal qualifications.

When the pandemic hit he had been employed for two years by a furniture manufacturer.

He was put on to furlough in April 2020 leaving him £350 per month worse off.

J remained on furlough until May 2021 when the company closed down. During this time he had accumulated more than £5,000 worth of debts.

The only work he can find is zero-hours contracts so his income varies and he has to rely upon food banks to feed his young family.

He is receiving universal credit so his income will reduce further from October when the £20 uplift is removed.

We are helping him with his debts by negotiating with his creditors to put him on to a payment plan and have made referrals to get him help for his mental health issues.

With furlough ending at the end of the month and the £20-per-week increase to universal credit coming to an end, the service, which covers Kidderminster, Bewdley and the surrounding rural areas, will only get busier, Ms Lowe fears.

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"We're seeing people who lost their jobs during lockdown or who were retained on furlough and are now being made redundant," she said.

"People are losing their safety blankets.

"People think we deal with neighbourhood disputes - but we can change people's lives."