ALL READERS & CUK ... CAB ( Citizens Advice Bureau ) : Highly Recommended But ... Cutbacks / Waiting Times

( Interlocks with another new thread : Charities disappearing from poorer areas : https://www.carersuk.org/forum/support-and-advice/all-about-caring/grass-roots-organisations-stepping-into-the-void-as-established-charities-move-out-39562 )
CAB ?

How often do those three letters appear in answers to initial postings on the forum ?

Literally , hundreds of times … and very justified … the one safe harbour for a ocean full of problems.

Problem now is twofold.

Both as a direct result of " Austerity " … LA cutbacks in funding.

Result ?

Many offices now closed .

Those than remain open … opening hours cutback , waiting times getting longer.

Volunteers are stepping into the void … here in Worksop a prime example.

Some food banks now have resident volunteers as well … some , like me , available by email … if the CAB on your manor has closed ,
worth checking with your local food bank ?
( My local Weatherspoons , The Liquorice Gardens , two volunteers normally parked in one corner with their laptops. )

Internet search … CAB CLOSURES / CUTBACKS … very revealing , almost like a plague that has infected most manors :
cab closures / cutbacks - Google Search

As I type , an uneasy lull … soon to be shattered once that UC steamroller starts up again to complete it’s tour of the UK.
Be slightly cautious when recommending the CAB locally to some posters.

For many , their local CAB maybe 30+ miles away , and now open for less than 10 hours per week.

Many do not have a car at their disposal … for them , public transport … and all the problems that implies.

Always bear in mind that what may be available on your manor does not necessary mean it’s available on another.

We call that … THE POST CODE LOTTERY … and , like the lottery , there is always more losers than winners !!!

Just a brief update … the CAB are suffering like most voluntary organisations out there :


1,500 seek help in coronavirus crisis from Citizens Advice in Suffolk.

The charity said it was trying to guide people through employment concerns in particular, amid “a lot of misunderstanding” over the government’s job retention scheme and the support available for self-employed workers.

Citizens Advice was one of the many community services forced to close following the lockdown announced on March 23, put in place to protect people’s health and stop the spread of the virus.

Yet being closed to face-to-face visitors has not stopped people contacting the organisation for help, with 300 people in Ipswich supported by more than 50 staff and volunteers over the past two weeks.

However, the charity says it is having to continuously adapt its advice and guidance following ongoing announcements by the government about how it will support those affected.

Nicky Willshere, chief officer at Citizens Advice Ipswich, said: “Probably the biggest area of calls we are getting at the moment are work-related to do with the government’s coronavirus job retention scheme and employees’ 80% subsidy, as well as queries from self-employed people wondering what their entitlements will be.

Repeat manor by manor ?

Our local authority now have a Hotline for anyone needing any type of help.

BB … how will the locals know of that ?

Just curious.

Some mutual aid groups now door knocking learn fast … taking a mobile phone with them for Internet access.