Advice agencies to be given £5m funding

Political Editor

Tuesday 22 January 2013

THE Scottish Government has bowed to pressure and announced more than £5 million funding for advice agencies.

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Magnus Gardham Political Editor

Ministers established a £1.7m fund to support organisations that have seen soaring demand for their services as high unemployment and welfare cuts have plunged families into hardship. A further £3.4m will be made available over the next two years.

Citizens Advice Scotland will receive an immediate £300,000 cash injection, in addition to its main funding package. The move follows growing pressure on ministers to pass on Scotland's share of cash earmarked by Westminster for advice agencies down south.The Scottish Government received £1.7m in November 2011 and the same amount last March. A further £1.7m instalment is due in the new financial year.Advice agency bosses who lobbied hard for the cash are due to give evidence to Holyrood's welfare reform committee today. In a joint letter to the committee, 19 organisations said they were struggling to cope with requests for help about benefit changes. It added: "Without an increase in the capacity and resourcing of advice agencies, the citizens of Scotland affected by the changes will not be able to access the advice and support they need."In a separate submission, the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland said its case load had increased by 50% from two years ago. Announcing the funding, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "It is clear that the impact of the cuts will extend across Scottish society, with vulnerable groups, women and working families all likely to suffer. This is putting more and more pressure on the organisations that provide crucial front-line advice to those affected."Margaret Lynch, chief executive of Citizens Advice Scotland, said: "We already see the damaging aspects of cuts on the lives of families across the country."

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Advice agencies to be given £5m funding

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