Thousands supported by service during crisis
PEOPLE DURING THE LOCKDOWNS
MORE than 26,870 local people were supported by Citizens Advice advisers over the lockdowns with a big increase in issues with landlords and redundancies.
Citizens Advice LeicesterShire (CitAL) has just published its impact report for 2020-2021, which shows how during this time, its staff and volunteers supported clients across Leicestershire to cope with the impacts of Covid-19 and did so entirely by telephone and digital channels.
As an organisation, CitAL supported over 26,000 clients and dealt with over 59,000 issues with advisers answering 29,000 telephone calls, 8,000 emails and had just shy of 500,000 website visits seeking online advice.
Seventy-nine volunteers gave up a combined total of 35,000 hours to provide these services.
Between April 2020 and March 2021, clients approached CitAL with a range of issues, the most prevalent being welfare benefits, debt, employment and housing.
There specifically was an increase in clients with issues with landlords and a 77 per cent increase in clients being made redundant.
Richard Evans, chief executive officer, Citizens Advice Leicester
Shire, said: “We faced very real challenges throughout 2020-21, not least the monumental task of moving a 130-strong team of staff and volunteers to delivering advice from home. However, with the support we received from so many local funders who enabled us to adapt to the new reality, we continued to develop our services for the benefit of the people of Leicester and Leicestershire.
“We will strive to continue to do this for many more years to come.”In addition to the generalist advice service offered, CitAL also provides a number of specialist services including its Macmillan Welfare Benefits Service. This service aims to support patients and carers to cope with the financial strain of a cancer diagnosis including supporting claims for disability and carers benefits.
CitAL also offers a Mesothelioma Welfare Benefits Service that offers support with disability benefits and statutory lump-sum payments to those affected by Mesothelioma.
The other specialist services include a county only Money Advice Service, Pension Wise and the Helpto-Claim service, offering support to new Universal Credit claimants through to their first payment.
Since the pandemic, the services Citizens Advice LeicesterShire offers its clients are more important than ever. Clients know they can rely on CitAL to provide an excellent service with 100 per cent of those who completed the 2020 client survey, saying they would use Citizens Advice LeicesterShire again.
One client who was advised by the Coalville office, said: “I’m so grateful for the help and advice given to me, I don’t know what I would have done without it. Thank you.”
HELP FOR 26,870
We faced very real challenges, not least the task of moving a 130-strong team to delivering advice from home