Presentation by Jenny Barnett, CEO Citizens Advice Lindsey, regarding the work of the CAB, followed by a question and answer session.
Minutes:
The Chairman welcomed Jenny Barnett, CEO, and Paul Burrows, Operations Manager, from Citizens Advice Lindsey. It was explained that they covered both East and West Lindsey but for the purpose of the presentation, information was focussed on West Lindsey only.
The Committee heard that CA Lindsey provided free, impartial advice and support on a range of issues including but not limited to help with:
· Debt
· Benefits
· Housing
· Employment
· Consumer
· Relationships
· Discrimination
They also supported people who were facing poverty. Last year in West Lindsey, 1,576 clients were helped with more than 7,300 issues, with a further 1800 clients helped on Advice Line, as well as those provided with assistance through webchat, email, referrals and one-off advice queries. Appointments were delivered in a way that best suited the client, whether that be face to face, telephone or online. There was also specialist support available, for example with complex debt issues or specific welfare benefits.
Members heard that the services provided by CA Lindsey continued to play a significant role in the community, with 86% of clients saying the service had helped them find a way forward and 87% saying they would recommend the service. In addition, it was explained that demand had risen by 50% between January and March 2022, with concerns such as the loss of the £20 per week Universal Credit uplift, the worsening cost of living crisis and the removal of the protective measures that had been introduced during the pandemic. It was also highlighted that as well as receiving a higher volume of enquiries, clients were presenting with increasingly complex issues, requiring more time to be spent with individual clients.
It was highlighted that CA Lindsey worked in partnership with local foodbanks, the Salvation Army, Local Authorities and had membership with the LCC Financial Inclusion Partnership. Members were provided with monetary figures demonstrating the benefit of the services provided, however it was highlighted that the fiscal benefits were only a small representation of the value of the services provided. The value of, for example, keeping people in employment or helping them back to work, reducing demand on GP and mental health services, improving family relationships, was immeasurable.
The presentation was concluded by recognising the looming cost of living crisis and the impact that would have across the district. Demand for CA Lindsey services was likely to increase further, with partnership working at the fore to provide necessary assistance where needed. Both Jenny Barnett and Paul Burrows thanked the Committee for the invitation to attend and offered Members the opportunity to ask questions.
The Chairman thanked them both for their detailed presentation and the work undertaken for the residents of West Lindsey, recognising the burden they helped to relieve on other services.
Members of the Committee recognised the increased demand and enquired as to whether there were specialist services offered for veterans, as they faced hardships that were perhaps unique to them. It was explained that there were several specialist services providing support, CA Lindsey would refer veterans to those specialist services when needed.
In response to a question regarding facing the increased demand, it was explained that there were limitations to how many people the organisation could support, whilst always striving to provide the best service to each client. They recognised where there were barriers to people accessing the service, for example language barriers, although all advisors were trained to use language line which offered a translation service. It was also recognised that the rurality of the district posed challenges, with vulnerable clients perhaps not able to travel for face to face appointments but also not best supported through phone calls.
A Member of the Committee enquired as to whether students of law were still available to offer free legal advice, referring to a previous scheme whereby it assisted both clients needing legal advice and students requiring experience of legal work. It was explained that this was not a current model however students often volunteered, most often in the city branches.
Members enquired as to whether there had been an increase in domestic abuse cases, to which it was recognised that it had been difficult to identify such issues when face to face appointments had been suspended. With these now re-started, cases could be more easily identified, with clients supported and referred to other agencies as needed. It was also noted that CA Lindsey worked closely with Trading Standards with regard to loan sharks.
In response to a query regarding support provided to younger people, it was explained that the service tended to deal with an older demographic, however during the pandemic there had been a noticeable increase in younger people accessing services. The introduction of webchats did appeal to a younger demographic.
A Visiting Member enquired as to levels of support for families over the pending school holidays, to which it was explained that CA Lindsey worked with the Local Authority to promote support packages available, however they were not directly responsible for providing support such as free meals.
The Chairman highlighted that CA Lindsey provided free, confidential and impartial advice regardless of circumstance and again thanked Jenny Barnett and Paul Burrows for their time and services, on behalf of the Committee.