- 20/01/2020
- Posted by: Lesley Griffiths MS
- Category: News
Local Assembly Member, Lesley Griffiths has hailed the work of Wrexham Citizens Advice and believes the support it offers vulnerable residents is as crucial as ever.
During a visit to the office on Grosvenor Road, Wrexham’s AM discovered more about the free, impartial advice Wrexham Citizens Advice provides on a range of issues including debt, money management, housing and welfare benefits.
Ms Griffiths was also informed that Wrexham Citizens Advice has seen an increase in vulnerable people being targeted by scams. The organisation are supporting a number of local residents and are keen to raise awareness of a particular scam involving a company calling themselves ‘Imperial Wines’.
After a challenging couple of years in which Wrexham Council threatened to cut funding altogether, pressure from local Labour councillors and politicians helped force a U-turn and the future for Wrexham Citizens Advice is brighter. Funding in the region of £60,000 was provided for this year and the local branch is working in partnership with the Local Authority as further negotiations take place regarding a longer-term arrangement.
At a national level, the Welsh Labour Government is committed to supporting social welfare advice services and will invest more than £8 million throughout Wales during 2020.
The latest development put forward by the Welsh Government will see the creation of new Regional Advice Networks that will ultimately aim to help encourage partnership working, improve accessibility and strengthen local services.
Lesley Griffiths AM said: “Demand for advice services is not diminishing as constituents regularly contact my office with a range of complicated issues.”
“People can find themselves in a crisis with nowhere to turn but Citizens Advice Wrexham has been a shining light, helping over 1,600 local residents in total in 2018-19.”
“The team’s valuable work should be protected. Local decision making created challenges but the service is on the road to recovery and I hope the latest Welsh Government support, which will see the introduction of Regional Advice Networks, will benefit the team in Wrexham and local residents.”
