Agenda item

(Director of Communities) To consider the attached report.

The Assistant Director (Housing Operations), Roger Wilson, introduced the report for the extension of funding of two Epping Forest Citizens Advice Bureau Debt Advisors. He explained that the Finance and Performance Management Cabinet Committee had agreed to extend the funding for these two posts until end March 2017.

The CAB had reported that during the first six months of 2015/16 the Advisors managed debts of around £713,000 and assisted 304 clients.  Around 97 (32%) of these clients were Council tenants. The CAB was required under the Agreement to have one Debt Advisor based at the Limes Centre, Chigwell for one half day each week. The CAB extended this service to 2 half days each week in 2015.  The CAB had reported that in the first 6 months of 2015/2016, around 120 (40%) of the clients assisted were first seen at the Limes Centre.

Bearing in mind the expected reductions in the overall national Welfare Budget, there will be an increased need for residents to receive continued support around personal budgeting and debt advice. Such advice may reduce the risk of some households presenting to the Council as homeless, resulting in savings in costly bed and breakfast, hostel or even temporary/interim accommodation in the Council’s own stock. 

Councillor Surtees commented that it was essential that this service was continued as this contributed to the welfare and mental health of people and he strongly supported this.

Councillor Lea wondered how we could continue supporting in the future with all the cut backs. This should be reviewed each year. The Director of Communities replied that this funding would provide a lot of savings. By using the CAB this would save the Council money, but it was difficult to quantify. Only by cutting the funding would we know the effect it would have on our budgets.

Councillor Shiell thought that they all agreed that this funding was vital, but she would also like the CAB to do more fundraising. Mr Marshall said that Ms Poulter was aware of this and was looking to do this in the coming year.

Councillor Surtees said it was also the responsibility of this committee to consider the problems we had and what we could do about them. Mr Hall said that the next big thing was the introduction of the Universal Credit. Some preliminary figures suggest that in area when this had been introduced 85% of tenants were in arrears with their rent in comparison of 39% in other areas. Also the amount owed had doubled in areas with Universal Credit.

Councillor Stavrou noted the questions raised and the response and the affect of homelessness on people. But here were lots of competing bids for our pot of money and wondered if the CAB should get all the money when we did not have the accommodation for the homeless to be put into. Very difficult decisions would be coming our way in the near future and we should be cautious.

Mr Marshall said that it was vital that this was brought to this Committee every year to consider based on any new information available. Councillor Knight noted that it went to the Cabinet Committee on a yearly basis. Mr Hall clarified that the funding was now on a yearly basis. Councillor Knight agreed that she would like this committee to have sight of this first on a yearly basis.

The Committee debated if an updating six monthly written report should be asked for from the CAB to keep us abreast of their work. However it was noted that officers already held quarterly meetings with the CAB and their managers and we also monitored their core funding on a quarterly basis. Community Services officers have also asked for SMART objectives to be set up for the coming year. Noting this, the committee thought the CAB should be left unburdened with writing yet more reports and reporting back in yet another way to this Council.

RESOLVED:

That the Communities Select Committee strongly recommend to the Finance Cabinet Committee at its meeting on 19 January 2017, that the funding of the Citizens Advice Bureau’s (CAB) two existing Debt Advisors be extended for a further year from 1 April 2017.