WHAT WE DO

The Bureau provides a wide range of advice and services.

During 2008/9 we advised 6,543 clients about 6,942 different enquiries. These enquiries covered 25,786 issues, an increase of 40% over the previous year, reflecting the growing complexity of client enquiries and the increase in employment, housing and debt problems arising from the economic downturn.

These included general enquiries dealt with by volunteer advisors and enquiries to our specialists.

Our volunteer advisers dealt with 5,458 enquiries and 14,966 issues during 2008/9.

• Faversham Bureau dealt with 2,026 enquiries and 4,499 new issues;
• Sheppey Bureau dealt with 985 enquiries and 2,771 new issues;
• Sittingbourne Bureau with 2,447 enquiries and 7,746 new issues.

The proportionately greater number of new issues in Sittingbourne reflects a larger percentage of debt enquiries at that Bureau.

Clients living in 25 wards in Swale received advice. The statistics showed a fairly uniform take-up with 17 of these wards providing between 180 and 400 clients. Although 96% of clients declared a White ethnicity, a wide range of clients from other ethnicities were advised reflecting the gradually changing population mix in Swale.

The main categories of general enquiries were as follows (click on category to see details):

Benefits

Welfare benefits accounted for 1,177 new enquiries dealt with by volunteer advisors in Faversham, Sheppey and Sittingbourne. This is 22% of all enquiries dealt with by our volunteers. Problems with Income Support, Incapacity Benefit and Disability Living Allowance accounted for a large proportion of benefit enquiries. We also identified benefits clients who were not claiming and helped clients to complete the necessary forms. If a client needed casework, rather than advice or help that could be given on the day, the client was often referred to one of the Specialist Caseworkers.

We also provided help with form-filling for clients who are unable to deal with the demanding official forms required in order to apply for welfare benefits. The sensitive help available at the CAB enabled many clients to successfully claim Disability Living Allowance, Income Support/Incapacity Benefit, Attendance Allowance, Housing/Council Tax Benefits and a range of other benefits.

(back to top)

Debt

Again, this was one of our largest enquiry areas accounting for 1,478 new enquiries dealt with by our volunteer advisors, which was 27% of all enquiries dealt with by volunteers.

The economic downturn leading to an increase in loss of employment and shorter working hours has led us to help an increasing number of clients who were working or who lived in mortgaged properties and were finding it impossible to manage these higher costs combined with credit card and other loan repayments.

Clients reliant on benefits are also struggling to meet higher heating and food costs and more and are often accumulating rent and council tax arrears as a result and require help budgeting and prioritising repayments.

(back to top)

Employment

In 2008/9 we dealt with 678 new employment enquiries, 12% of all enquiries dealt with by volunteers. The main enquiry areas were pay, terms of employment and dismissal. The CAB provided support to clients by helping to write letters to employers and by advising on contractual and statutory obligations.

Two volunteer advisors were able to provide considerable help and support to clients who initiated Employment Tribunal proceedings. Most cases involved redundancy and/or dismissal issues or involve unlawful deductions from wages for notice and holiday pay.

(back to top)

Housing

Housing, particularly issues around actual and threatened homelessness, accounted for 468 new enquiries, 9% of all enquiries to volunteer advisors. Many of the enquiries were referred to our Housing Advisor and LSC Housing Caseworker for consideration, further advice and casework as appropriate.

(back to top)

Legal and Relationship

These two categories of enquiry have been combined because of the overlap between them. There were 921 new enquiries (17% of the total) between them, with the main enquiry areas being issues about divorce and separation and legal proceedings following the break-up of a relationship and the need for a financial settlement.

(back to top)

Other Enquiry Areas

A further 665 enquiries (12% of the total handled by volunteers) covered tax, immigration and community care, health, utilities and education and a wide range of other issues. These enquiries represent an important aspect of CAB work and enable clients key to access other services and specialist support.

Financial Capability Work

We have received funding from the Nationwide Building Society to develop a financial education programme delivering advice on loans, budgeting, prioritizing debts and personal financial management to small groups using a games based informal approach.

The program development began in January 2009 and the first program was delivered in April 2009. The program is proving very popular and we are hoping to receive further funding in the next bid round to enable us to consolidate and extend this initiative.

(back to top)