Cost of living crisis: Citizens Advice North Lancashire sounds alarm

In August they have seen a 76% increase in requests for charitable help from the same period last year, with more than 384 people seeking help with food, fuel or hardship fund payments in a single month.

Overall they have seen a 45% increase in the numbers of clients seeking advice, and in August 2022 alone they advised 943 people who needed help with 2,437 different issues.

"We know that residents are very worried about the cost of living and we are seeing a huge increase in requests for advice," said Helen Greatorex, CEO of Citizens Advice North Lancashire.

"Our teams are incredibly worried about how many vulnerable residents will cope this winter once temperatures drop and the October price cap is implemented."

The charity, which has offices in Morecambe and is opening a new Lancaster office in October, is staffed by a team of more than 25 advisers and is supported by a growing number of trained volunteers who provide advice over the phone, by email and by appointment both at their offices and via home visits and in the community where they work from GP offices, community centres and with other charities.

They can offer help with any area of advice, and specialise in debt, benefits, housing and employment issues.

Over recent weeks the service has seen many examples of clients who are skipping meals, getting into debt and rent arrears and worrying about affording the basics.

They have heard of clients missing meals to feed their children, pensioners unable to top up electricity and gas, and several parents who have been forced to give up work because they can't afford to pay rising childcare fees.

"We very much hope that the government will step in, and quickly," saidJoanna Young, head of research and campaigns.

"We are seeing a surge of people who are not sure how they will pay for essential services this winter and it's difficult to advise people when their budgets simply don't add up. For pensioners and those on very low incomes, we understand that these are extremely worrying times."

What to do if you are worrying about money

"We know that many residents are fearful about how they will make ends meet," saidGully Trevena, advice services director at Citizens Advice North Lancashire.

"If you are worried about paying your bills there are a few simple things you should do. Firstly, and this sounds obvious but many people don't do it - work out your budget.

"Find out exactly how much you have coming in, and what's going out, and have a think about where you may be able to make savings. There is a useful budgeting tool on our website to help you.

“Secondly, if you don't think you can pay your energy bills, contact your supplier. If you don't tell them you are struggling then they can't help you - and there are schemes out there to take money off your bills.

"The same goes for any other bills you may have - always contact them if you are struggling so that they know, and you can work together to create a payment plan.

"Have a look at the Citizens Advice public site for useful guidance on dealing with debt: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/help-with-debt/

If you have significant debt and can't pay, you can contact us for help and a specialist debt worker can work with you, free and in confidence.

"If you have under £2,000 per month coming in, you can contact the council's hardship scheme for help. They may be able to arrange a payment to help you. This is a one off scheme, but if you need an essential item such as a fridge or cooker, this may help.

"If you are worrying about affording food then you could look into joining a food club - there are plenty around including Eggcup which has branches in both Lancaster and Morecambe. With a food club you pay a few pounds a week and you'll be able to get quite a bit of food.

"If you think you might be entitled to any benefits, it's always worth checking. If you have access to the internet, you can use a benefit calculator like Turn2Us or Entitled To. These are simple to use and will highlight any additional help you might receive.

"Make sure that you have received the hardship payment that you should be entitled to. It can be a bit confusing as there are various schemes out there.

"If you are in a band A-D house, you should have received a rebate on your council tax, so contact the council if this hasn't happened. If you are a pensioner, or on benefits, or disabled, there should be cost of living payments coming your way. You can find out what these payments are on the government website at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cost-of-living-payment.

"If you are worried about affording school uniforms, the Morecambe Bay Foodbank has a uniform project. You can self refer to it by filling in the form on the foodbank's website.

"Finally, if you are really struggling and don't have enough food to eat or are running out of credit for your meter, get in touch with us, or the council and we can refer you to a food bank or for a fuel voucher. You can ring us on 01524 400 404 or the council on 01524 582000. Don't suffer in silence."

Citizens Advice North Lancashire is always looking for new volunteers to train as information navigators and advisers, and they welcome donations to support their service. Find out more at www.northlancashirecab.org.uk