A FUNDING crisis has raised fears that Herefordshire Citizens Advice Bureau could close down before its landmark 50th anniversary next year.

The organisation, which provides ‘essential’ support for some of the county’s poorest residents, says it will not have a future unless ‘a firm and long-term commitment is made to funding the service’.

The Leominster branch of the CAB closed its doors for good this week, following the withdrawal of services in Ross-on-Wye, Ledbury and Bromyard due to funding cuts earlier this month.

The plug has also been pulled on a similar service, the Marches Access Point (MAP) in Kington, which provided community support and training among many
other services.

CAB figures suggest that around 2,000 people in the county won’t now receive the help they need while around £2 million will be lost in financial outcomes that would have been otherwise achieved for some of Herefordshire’s poorest people.

Denise Shuker, chairman of Herefordshire CAB trustee board, warned: “It is crystal clear that Herefordshire CAB will not be around to celebrate its 50th anniversary next year unless a firm commitment is made to fund this essential service.”

Claire Keetch, HCAB chief executive, said some people cannot physically get out and about to access services in Hereford while others cannot afford transport costs.

She added: “We have clients with literacy and numeracy problems for whom seeing someone face to face is what they need rather than navigating emails or even telephone systems.”

Mrs Keetch said that for some people, not getting the help they need could mean not being able to put food on the table or being able to put their heating on, with the CAB service both a first port of call and a last resort.

“Now our funding has ended we will be one of only a tiny number of CABs not funded by its local authority. Most local authorities are under enormous pressure – I understand that – however the vast majority of local authorities throughout this country are finding in their budget, money to support their local CABs.

“One of the heart-breaking things is that we know it’s tough now, we know that it’s going to get worse and we firmly believe that the CAB is needed now more than ever to help people hit by austerity cuts.”

The Hereford Times has previously reported how Herefordshire Council agreed to release £50,000 in transition funding to HCAB and will continue to provide free space for the service in council offices while both bodies explored future funding solutions.

But while that sum has been welcomed, HCAB trustees fear it is not a ‘long-term’ solution to funding CAB services and Mrs Keetch said the service is in real need of basic funding to allow it to source money from other resources.

While the Hereford service will remain open, HCAB will also be demonstrating to Herefordshire Council that it should support – with funding – its local CAB because there is a ‘business case and a moral case to do so’.

The council’s contract with HCAB ended on March 31. A new hub run by Services for Independent Living in Hereford city centre is expected to be open by the summer.