East Yorkshire Citizens Advice sees calls for help treble

Citizens Advice centres in East Yorkshire have seen demand for their service treble over the last year

Citizens Advice in East Yorkshire has said it desperately needs more volunteers after demand for its services trebled over the past year.

The charity said the rising cost of living had led to an "unprecedented" increase in people seeking its help.

It offers support with a range of issues including debt, housing, benefits and energy bills.

Around 90% of the advice it gives is delivered by volunteers who have seen a big increase in their workload.

Stacey Ullyott, who manages the team of advisers at Citizens Advice in Hull and East Yorkshire, said: "The amount of people we are seeing with cost of living issues is through the roof."

At the weekly drop-in advice session in Bridlington, the doorbell starts ringing before the doors open at 09:00.

"A year ago we would have seen 20 to 25 people a day here. Today we are bound to see over 60," Ms Ullyott said.

"We are seeing people who have no food, they have no gas, they have no electricity, they've got bailiffs knocking at the door and they're looking at being evicted from their property."

Manager Stacey Ullyott said demand had gone "through the roof"

She explained how people who come to Citizens Advice are in crisis, adding she had never seen demand for the service at these levels.

"I need more volunteers and I need more funding," she said.

"I'd love to be able to open our offices another day a week just to help deal with demand that we are getting through but we can't do that with the low-level resource that we've got at the moment."

Sue Pickles has volunteered at the Bridlington office for five years

Sue Pickles has volunteered at the Bridlington office for five years. She is a retired former practice manager for a GP surgery who greets people at the door with a warm smile.

"Sometimes people have got some really sad stories and you feel very much for them and that's why you want to help them," she said.

In the waiting room is Helen Brittle, with her husband Michael Day. She uses a wheelchair.

They are both in their late 80s and have come to ask for help, but like many of their generation they seem ashamed that they should have to do so.

"You do feel guilty claiming. I've worked all my life and it's come to this," she said.

"It's depressing to be like this, it really is. We are intelligent people. We've worked really hard. We've lasted as long as we can and we really do need some help."

They are told they will be able to claim attendance allowance and Citizens Advice will be able to help them fill out the online forms. Ms Pickles explains how this is a common problem for people who come here.

"Everything now is online. Everything is digital. If you can't manage digital or your haven't got resources then you are losing already but that's something we can help with," she said.

Volunteer Charlotte Moore is a former journalist

Charlotte Moore is a trainee volunteer, a former journalist who has decided to spend her retirement volunteering one day at week at the Bridlington office. She says no two days are the same.

Advisers deal with a variety of problems, from bereavement and health issues to financial difficulties and relationships. She says she finds the job rewarding.

"Once I got through some problems with a particular person last week I offered them a food parcel as a starting point because they were desperate, there was no money coming in. The person just broke down in tears and said she'd never known such kindness," she said.

Ali Grainger said volunteers were facing the "highest demand that I have ever known"

The volunteers are guided and advised by paid supervisors like Ali Grainger who has worked with the charity for 30 years.

"This is the highest demand that I have ever known. The past few months has been really overwhelming. There are days you come out of the session and you feel like you've been in a ring with Frank Bruno."

Citizens Advice is on the front line of the cost of living crisis, dealing with desperate situations on a daily basis, but the office in Bridlington is full of hope.

"We can always help," said Ms Grainger.

And for volunteers like Ms Pickles who are giving up their time to provide a listening ear, there are huge rewards.

"If I can help somebody else and make their life better then I don't need paying for that. There's no better reward than knowing that in a small way you have made somebody's life better."