Citizens Advice helps Falkirk residents claim nearly £6million in benefits

Rising costs and a complex benefit system have left thousands of people in Falkirk unable to make ends meet

Three Citizens' Advice Bureaus in Falkirk district helped residents claim nearly £6million of benefits.

Members of Falkirk Council 's Scrutiny Committee heard that the bureaus in Falkirk, Grangemouth and Denny get £309,664 of funding from Falkirk Council, which is 41 per cent of their total income.

The advice service - which has 24 paid staff and 40 to 45 active volunteers across the three bureaus - achieved £17.42 in benefit gains for every £1 of funding provided.

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While Falkirk Council has its own debt and welfare advice service, members heard that demand for advice and support is very high, due to an increasingly complex benefits system and rising poverty.

Councillors heard that one couple turned to the service after being refused their claims for Scottish Child Payment, Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods.

They were turned down on the basis that they did not receive a qualifying benefit.

Although the couple did receive Universal Credit, their last payment had been zero due to some deductions and the rest being paid directly to the landlord for rent.

The bureau helped the family dispute this decision which allowed them to get the benefits they were entitled to, for which they were "incredibly grateful".

Another woman who came to CAB for help filling out an Adult Disability Payment form was asked if there was anything else they could help with.

Breaking down, she revealed that she had lost her job through ill health and as a result was now in debt, using her credit card to pay for essentials.

After discussing her options and the best way forward for her, CAB helped her file for bankruptcy, which wrote off £12,000 of debt.

The report highlighted that many people are reluctant to involve the council and Citizens Advice is a trusted source of independent advice on issues including debt, benefits, employment, housing, and consumer rights.

While funding for the service has remained static for the past five years, the number of people CAB helps has continued to grow.

Between them the three bureaus responded to 21,859 customer contacts from April 2023 to March 2024, dealing with 34,063 issues.

This resulted in clients gaining benefits totalling £5,709,447 - a 13 per cent increase on the previous year.

The CAB not only help people maximise their income by making sure they are getting all the benefits and in-kind support they are entitled to, they also help people manage their money by providing support with debt and budgeting.

The report to councillors says high cost of living has meant poverty levels in Falkirk and across Scotland have continued to grow, despite inflation reducing slightly.

The figures show that more than half of those being supported are getting in debt just to cover their essential costs.

Falkirk Council also contributes £38,000 every year to MacMillan Money Matters, a service that aims to make sure that people with a cancer diagnosis can get financial help quickly.

Direct links to health professionals mean that people get referred at the point of diagnosis and are seen quickly.

Members heard that MacMillan Money Matters achieved £44.83 in benefit gains for every £1 of funding last year.

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