A VITAL Soham service, which helps dozens of people every month with advice on debt problems and benefits, has a cash flow problem of its own.
Soham's Citizens Advice Bureau, which operates from an office in Churchgate Street, is set to close next month after Cambridgeshire County Council cut its funding.
The one-day-a-week service helps around 40 people a month apply for benefits and fi
nd out what they are entitled to.
This year alone, it has helped generate more than £500,000 extra benefits for people in the area – that is according to Beverley Howard, manager of East Cambridgeshire District CAB in Ely, which runs the service.
And as the credit crunch tightens its grip, demand for its services is expected to hit a new high.
"There's been an increase in the number of clients we have seen, particularly with debt-related problems," said Mrs Howard.
"We have also seen a significant increase in employment problems, with a number of people coming to us for advice on redundancies.
"These problems are all signs that people are struggling financially."
Cambridgeshire County Council had given East Cambridgeshire CAB £21,000 as part of a county-wide three-year scheme to support benefits advice.
But this funding was cut last year, forcing the branch to use money from its own reserves to continue running its Soham service.
Soham town councillor Rosemary Aitchison said: "It's a terribly important service in Soham.
"There are a lot of people who use it and they could do with it being open more than one day a week."
Soham county councillor Judy Broadway added: "It's ridiculous, especially at a time when the town is expanding with the number of people moving here."
Soham Town Council has already acted to try to shore up the service with a grant of £1,000, which will keep it open until September.
A bid for a £30,000 grant has been submitted to the Local Partnership Strategic Alliance, while a number of other organisations have also been contacted for help.
"If that's successful, we will be able to continue with the Soham service," said Mrs Howard.
"We very much hope we can secure replacement funding as there's obviously a great need for our service in Soham.
"It's one of our priority areas and we are looking at different ways to provide a service in the town."
The full article contains 401 words and appears in Newmarket Journal newspaper.
