Citizens Advice staff facing redundancies

[Latch Key Kid]

Re: Citizens Advice staff facing redundancies

Hi

"Under one scheme, road stewards were surveying the condition of roads and had identified nearly 90 potholes which needed to be fixed quickly.

Sean Brennan, leader of the Liberal Democrat run-council, said many people were keen to play a more active role in their communities.

"The Big Society is actually very simple. It's about local people knowing what's going on, being able to have their say and get involved in the running of their area if they want to."

Ah - So thats what its all about

Right so now thats sorted, lets carry on discussing the funding cuts that are costing the jobs of proper people. The funding cuts that affect and disrupt the lives of the most vulnerable and their families and just for economic madness's sake cost the Local Authorities and national economy millions of pounds as a result.

Anyone for a pothole spotting walk today? You might have to train to be a 'road steward' first though (I wonder what the health and safety and insurance implications are, watch it guys)

[Amethyst]

Re: Citizens Advice staff facing redundancies

10th Feb written answer

Mark Hoban (Financial Secretary, HM Treasury; Fareham, Conservative)
The Government have not yet taken a decision on the future of the projects currently funded from the FIF, including the face-to-face debt advice service.
The Government remain committed to helping poorer households to access appropriate financial services, to improve their financial resilience and to avoid falling into unsustainable levels of debt.

Change the bloody record man.

[Nibbler]

Re: Citizens Advice staff facing redundancies

blog discussion - Page 4 - MoneySavingExpert.com Forums

I have an email and a phone call from a very reliable source confirming that there will be one year of further FIF funding. I cannot say anything else at this stage but if it confirms to be true what a great job we all have done!!!!

I strongly suspect you're right. I expect that by tomorrow we'll all be feeling better about this.

[Nibbler]

Re: Citizens Advice staff facing redundancies

News : NDS

Funding of £27 million secures Face-to-Face Debt Advice Programme

12 February 2011 00:01
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (National)





The future of the face-to-face debt advice programme has been secured today with £27 million of funding for the next year, the Government announced today.


The Government wants to ensure that individuals facing financial difficulty can get valuable impartial advice early, rather than wait until their problems become much more difficult to resolve.

The funding announced today will secure the future of the face-to-face debt advice programme for 2011/12 and will ensure debt advice can continue to be provided by the Citizens Advice Bureaux and other independent advice agencies across England and Wales.

Secretary of State for Business Vince Cable said:

“It’s vitally important that everyone has access to free debt advice, and I am pleased to announce that the Department for Business will provide the £27 million necessary to maintain the programme of face-to-face debt advice.

"While the Government has maintained funding for this programme, it provides only a small part of the revenue necessary to keep the Citizens Advice network fully functioning. I would like to take this opportunity to call on the other funding streams, such as from local authorities, to help provide whatever support they can to keep this excellent service going."

Financial Secretary to the Treasury Mark Hoban said:

“I am very happy to be able to confirm the continuation of this important service. Effective debt advice can be the first step towards regaining control of your finances. It can also help people to make the most of their money in the future and avoid unsustainable debts. Anyone with money worries should seek advice as early as possible before their problems become harder to resolve.

“The Government intends to put the provision of debt advice onto a more sustainable footing. We want to see a flexible and cost effective response to debt problems, so that people can be helped in a way that works for them.”

The Coalition Agreement pledged that the Government would take action to help people to manage their own debts. It has been looking for new ways to encourage debtors to seek this support in its call for evidence on consumer credit and insolvency.

The Government has already asked the Consumer Financial Education Body (CFEB), soon to be known as the Money Advice Service, to deliver a free national financial advice service. Financial advice will be available face-to-face, over the phone, and online and aims to increase levels of financial literacy and empower consumers to take charge of their finances.

The service will include an annual financial healthcheck, which will provide people with a holistic overview of their finances and include a personalised action plan. The healthcheck will be available in the spring.

Notes for Editors

1. The Consumer Financial Education Body (CFEB) was established by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to offer information, resources and interactive tools to help people make informed decisions about money.
2. The Government confirmed in January that the Financial Inclusion Fund, which has funded the Face-to-Face debt advice programme since April 2006, would close on 31 March 2011. http://www.publications.parliament.u...11011980000353
3. The Face-to-Face programme, delivered by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, employs around specialist 500 advisors in Citizens Advice Bureaux and other independent advice agencies, across England and Wales.
4. The project helps over 100,000 clients address complex debt problems each year.
5. The recent NAO report into the project gave it a unique “delivering good value for money” plaudit. See here: http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/0...ss_report.aspx
6. The Department for Business and the Treasury’s call for evidence on consumer credit and personal insolvency closed on 10 December 2010. A Government response will be published in due course.
7. BIS' online newsroom contains the latest press notices, speeches, as well as video and images for download. It also features an up to date list of BIS press office contacts. See http://www.bis.gov.uk/newsroom for more information.
8. This Press Release and other Treasury publications are available on the HM Treasury website
   hm-treasury.gov.uk. For the latest information from HM Treasury you can subscribe to our RSS feeds or email service.
9. Non-media enquiries should be addressed to the Treasury Correspondence and Enquiry Unit on 020 7270 4558 or by e-mail to public.enquiries@hm-treasury.gov.uk

[enaid]

Re: Citizens Advice staff facing redundancies

The service will include an annual financial healthcheck, which will provide people with a holistic overview of their finances and include a personalised action plan. The healthcheck will be available in the spring.

I personally think this is a great idea especially if it can be done annonimously like the benefit checker. Seeing your I&E on paper is a real eyeopener for many and often a great shock. If at the end of the healthcheck help is needed, it should give links to only people who can actually advise on your problem and not to the banks etc that we love so much and would rather help themselves than their customers.
Enaid x

[Amethyst]

Re: Citizens Advice staff facing redundancies

I thought I dreamt that last night, but nope, it's in the ''news'' today ... thank goodness for something...funny that Vince has announced it.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...e-2212730.html

Local Authorities now need a kick up their arses to stop the massive cuts from their end.

Bloody stupid of the gov't to announce it was ending before having a plan what was to follow it.

How far does this £27k go then, and what after it ? The new service isn't ready yet and they are plugging the gap for a year ??

What about the August interim fund ? still not sure what it's an interim to ?

A spokesman for the CAB said: "Redundancy notices went out some time ago but we're looking at what we can do. We're very pleased to have this reprieve."

The service will include an annual financial healthcheck, which will provide people with a holistic overview of their finances and include a personalised action plan. The healthcheck will be available in the spring.

I personally think this is a great idea especially if it can be done annonimously like the benefit checker. Seeing your I&E on paper is a real eyeopener for many and often a great shock. If at the end of the healthcheck help is needed, it should give links to only people who can actually advise on your problem and not to the banks etc that we love so much and would rather help themselves than their customers.
Enaid x

Absolutely agree.

[EXC]

Re: Citizens Advice staff facing redundancies

EDM: West Midlands and Coventry Citizens Advice Bureaux debt advice service.

5 MPs have signed EDM 1440, sponsored by Jim Cunningham (Lab: Coventry South)

That this House notes that Coventry Citizens Advice Bureau's (CAB) debt advice service is funded by the Government's Financial Inclusion Fund; recognises that the Financial Inclusion Fund was established in areas of deprivation or where there has been difficulty accessing debt advice in the West Midlands and across the UK; further notes with concern that the Financial Inclusion Fund is due to end at the end of March; further notes that this will mean the closure of a service that has helped 7,500 families in the Coventry area in the last five years; further recognises that in the last year alone the Coventry CAB debt team have helped 1,500 families, saved 267 homes and have managed £28 million worth of debt; further notes with concern that Coventry CAB will lose 15 skilled people from the specialist debt team; further notes that the demand for CAB services is increasing and will continue to increase as a result of financial and social change; and calls on the Government to reconsider this decision given its impact on vital services for vulnerable people in Coventry, the West Midlands and across the UK.

[Amethyst]

Re: Citizens Advice staff facing redundancies

Well 5 is pretty rubbish.

[enaid]

Re: Citizens Advice staff facing redundancies

Well 5 is pretty rubbish.

Well maybe a word form the forums and the other debt advice places, the ones that deal day to day with the actual problems people face could help.
After all I doubt many mps actually get involved with debt problems on their doorsteps, they will just look at the whoe picture.

[EXC]

Re: Citizens Advice staff facing redundancies

Well 5 is pretty rubbish.

I thought 5 wasn't too bad for what is a local issue.

It's done the job though as the Financial Inclusion Fund that covered it has just been reprieved today.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...e-2212730.html

[leclerc]

Re: Citizens Advice staff facing redundancies

Was that the news that Vince Cable had "found" £27 million pounds just lurking in the closet to keep the FIF going?

[Amethyst]

Re: Citizens Advice staff facing redundancies

Yep, with no mention of 2012/2013 so will we just go through this again next year ?

Nice 'good spin' story for Vince isn't it.

[leclerc]

Re: Citizens Advice staff facing redundancies

Not particularly, I'd have paid it off the debt so that the later on the funding could be made further on down the line......guess I have a different approach to using £27 million. However, haven't found the quote online that Lawyers4u made about being linked to the CAB......which the CAB have strongely denied.

[Angry Cat]

Re: Citizens Advice staff facing redundancies

Funny, how they can suddenly find £27M!

One must assume that on this occasion the voice of the people et al, was listened to.

[Amethyst]

Re: Citizens Advice staff facing redundancies

Or its been sitting there and planned all along so Vince can come riding out on his white horse and save the day....but then I'm very cynical.