Skip to main content

To: Suffolk County Council

Stop cuts to Citizens Advice in Suffolk

19/02/19

We were delighted and surprised by an announcement yesterday by Suffolk County Council about our funding for 2019/2020. The Council will still reduce its funding to Citizens Advice by half in 2019/2020, but two Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) will make up the shortfall [1]. CCGs are the NHS bodies responsible for commissioning health care services in their local area.

This is a great result and on behalf of our clients we want to thank you for signing our petition and for lobbying local councillors. Citizens Advice is often the only place to which someone in need can turn for help. That help is vital to those that need it. Your support for our campaign to keep the service going made all the difference.

Still, this funding is only for one year. The people who signed our petition asked the County Council to commit to ongoing funding for the Citizens Advice service in Suffolk.

Your backing has made such a difference to us, and we will let you know about any new developments.

Citizens Advice charities in Suffolk

Commit to ongoing funding of Citizens Advice in Suffolk

Why is this important?

The future of Citizens Advice in Suffolk is under threat because Suffolk County Council is proposing to halve and then completely withdraw its funding to the charities.

The Citizens Advice network helped 22,000 people in Suffolk with more than 75,000 issues last year. The volunteer advisers provide quality assured advice on a wide range of issues such as debt, disability benefits, housing, employment and relationships. Cuts would lead to a significantly reduced service for people in Suffolk. The number of staff and volunteers available to give advice would have to be drastically reduced.

If you have a story to tell about how we have helped you or your family then please share it in the reason for signing.

Suffolk

Maps © Stamen; Data © OSM and contributors, ODbL

Updates

2019-02-21 10:18:31 +0000

Petition is successful with 6,545 signatures

2019-01-15 10:28:54 +0000

5,000 signatures reached

2018-12-18 16:06:27 +0000

1,000 signatures reached

2018-12-16 09:45:20 +0000

500 signatures reached

2018-12-14 09:53:57 +0000

100 signatures reached

2018-12-13 22:04:22 +0000

50 signatures reached

2018-12-13 18:10:22 +0000

25 signatures reached

2018-12-13 16:11:40 +0000

10 signatures reached