Local people net £5.4m thanks to Citizens Advice

A frail pensioner who was left shivering at the age of 77 has paid tribute to Erewash’s Citizens Advice team for helping local people like her reap an eye-watering £5.4m in grants and benefits they were missing out on – just in the past year.

The severely disabled resident, called Anne, was close to exhausting her savings and afraid to turn on her heating when she turned to the council-backed charity. Its experts were stunned to find she was not getting a penny in disability-related benefits.

They immediately got to work putting her on her energy supplier’s Priority Services Register as a vulnerable customer – then checked what else she was entitled to. This included Pension Credit, Council Tax Support and Attendance Allowance – plus a Warm Home Discount, free TV licence and a Blue Badge to help her get out and about.

Anne, who lives alone in a privately rented property, was overjoyed to see her £109.40 weekly income shoot up to £322.67 – a boost of £11,090 a year. She said: “I can now afford to heat my home and eat properly. It is a great relief that I can manage my health condition more effectively with reduced stress and an improved quality of life. I am now more confident about my future.”

She is one of 3,024 people who sought assistance from Citizens Advice in the past 12 months. The charity’s local arm is part of what is called Citizens Advice Derbyshire Districts. Another whose life was transformed was Nicola, 45, who has a son with ongoing health conditions. She was swamped by official paperwork, which the charity sorted out for her.

The mum also got crucial advice on managing her household budget to help keep her out of debt. She said: “The reduction in stress, anxiety and feelings of being overwhelmed means my mental health has improved.”

Citizens Advice even worked with the local MP on another case – that of Julie, whose Employment and Support Allowance had been wrongly calculated.

It resulted in her getting a backdated lump sum of £4,963 – while her weekly £145.90 allowance rose to £224.89. Julie said of the help she got from the charity, which receives funding from Erewash Borough Council: “It was life-changing.”

Annual figures for the charity’s local caseload show that in terms of individual issues a total of 26,927 were dealt with.

The majority – 16,836 – involved benefits. But 3,075 were cases resulting from people plunging into DEBT. The total amount of money owed was £1,311,046 – with advisors helping people to formulate payment plans and sometimes get the debts written off.

Another 1,296 cases were about housing – while 988 involved energy suppliers.

Melanie Mallinson, Senior Operations Manager for Citizens Advice Derbyshire Districts, said there had been a surge in demand for help.

The charity’s Erewash HQ – in Ilkeston’s Castledine House at 5 Heanor Road – offers pre-booked appointments via its freephone adviceline: 0808 278 7954.

The organisation is also engages in outreach via GP surgeries, food banks and community venues.

Melanie paid tribute to the dedication of hardworking Citizens Advice staff – some of whom are volunteers.

She said: “Every day, we see how the right advice can change lives. The funding we receive from Erewash Borough Council is essential – enabling us to deliver free, trusted support to those who need it most. Without this funding, many residents would struggle to access the help they rely on.”

Cllr Josy Hare, who is Erewash’s Lead Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “The work of Citizens Advice in helping many of our most vulnerable residents is amazing.” She also pointed to how the charity reduces homelessness and stops people defaulting on council tax.

Cllr Hare added: “For every Pound invested in Citizens Advice there is a £2.76 saving to the public purse. Even more incredibly this ultimately generates almost £30 in wider economic and social benefits.”

Melanie explains the charity’s partnership with the council in a video here.