We need CAB

I am deeply concerned by the SNP-led Renfrewshire Council’s decision to slash funding for the Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), putting the service under serious threat.

This significant reduction to CAB’s vital funding has resulted in a cash shortfall which has put the future of the Citizens Advice Bureau in Renfrewshire at risk. If the CAB is forced to close, there would be 65 job losses in total, with 22 paid members of staff and 43 volunteers losing employment.

The Citizens Advice Bureau in Renfrewshire has provided free, impartial advice to residents during times of difficulty for 30 years. Their volunteers and specialist staff have supported tens of thousands of people at their most vulnerable and challenging times, providing assistance with a range of issues, including debt, employment, housing, immigration and social security. In the last year, the Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau supported around 800 people across the region.

I am glad that my Scottish Labour colleagues in Renfrewshire Council have been leading the opposition to these scandalous changes to the bureau’s funding. The SNP need to go back to the drawing board and come back with a new proposal which provides long-term financial security for the Renfrewshire Citizen’s Advice Bureau and guarantees no loss of employment.