Citizens Advice response to DSD Paper on Draft Budget

Yesterday the Department for Social Development (DSD) published a position paper on the Draft Budget which sets out the proposed Departmental allocations for four years beginning April 2011.  This budget sees a cut of over 17% in the budget allocation to the DSD spread over the next four years. 

The paper states that “the draft Budget requires change to do more to protect those in need and the funding of frontline functions provided across the Department.”  Citizens Advice echoes this statement made by the DSD.  Citizens Advice believes that given the current economic climate the need for the services provided by the voluntary advice sector has been brought into sharp focus.  There is a real need for the adequate  provision of frontline advice services to continue the fight against poverty and protect the most vulnerable in our society. 

In its paper the DSD has acknowledged that the proposed budget needs to take into account a range of factors which will have significant impacts in Northern Ireland including a raft of Welfare Reform changes being introduced by the Coalition Government, protecting the most vulnerable from the effects of these changes, the effect of the economic downturn and the resulting increasing demands being placed on the social security system and increasing housing pressures. 

Citizens Advice is also seeing an increase in demand to its local CAB offices across Northern Ireland as a result of the above issues.  More clients are approaching the CAB network worried about changes to their benefits, coping with the effects of debt, struggling with reduced levels of household income, concerns about their employment and many other issues including trying to pay for increased heating costs.  Over the nine months April to December 2010 Citizens Advice saw increases of 12% in the number of recorded issues relating to both employment and housing and 13% with regard to education compared with the same period during 2009.  The organisation also dealt with almost 120,000 issues in relation to benefits and almost 45,000 in relation to debt.  

Citizens Advice is pleased that the Minister has decided “that there must be no reduction in vital programmes which target the most vulnerable households, including revenue and capital programmes to address fuel poverty (Warm Homes), supported housing (Supporting People), new build housing, and disadvantaged communities (Neighbourhood Renewal).” 

In response to this paper Citizens Advice welcomes the DSD’s commitment to protecting frontline services.  Citizens Advice will continue to work with the DSD and others to help alleviate poverty and help the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our society.