Help available to flood victims from Citizens Advice Bureaux “army of volunteers”  

Charity welcomes new Government support to help people in flood-hit communities get back on their feet

The Chief Executive of Citizens Advice has welcomed news that additional resources will be made available to help residents get back on their feet in areas dealing with the recent severe damage from storms and flooding.

Funding will be made available to Citizens Advice Bureaux in the areas worst-affected by flooding and storms to ensure people can recover from the damage. The £250,000 fund will be spent directly on outreach work in communities devastated by recent storms and resulting floods.

Citizens Advice has been working with community groups and councils in flood-hit areas in recent weeks to help residents cope with the damage. Bureaux in affected areas will be helping to provide temporary accommodation, emergency food packages and helping people deal with insurance issues.

In Sedgemoor, when an entire village was evacuated and flooded, the Citizens Advice Bureau did an outreach event at a local café where sixty local residents were sheltering. Advisers put together information on the ground for councillors to ensure local authorities were kept updated about the developing situation.  After the 2012 floods, the Citizens Advice Bureau in Denbighshire set up an outreach rota of advisers and volunteers to help people affected. The Bureau continues to assist clients dealing with the longer-term impact of flooding from two years ago.

Citizens Advice Chief Executive, Gillian Guy, said:

“No organisation understands its local community better than a Citizens Advice Bureau. As neighbourhoods pick up the pieces from the recent dreadful impact of the storms, volunteers and advisers from Citizens Advice Bureaux are at the forefront of the recovery work.

“News of flooding may soon ebb away from the front pages but Citizens Advice Bureaux have been embedded in communities for 75 years. This welcome boost will allow our army of volunteers to deliver vital support directly to people facing extreme stress and anxiety.”

“As we saw first-hand with the storms in 2007, flooding has enormous knock-on effects. Damage to homes creates upheaval, wrecked transport links prevent people getting to work and problems with insurance policies can lead to long-term financial stress.  People bearing the brunt of flood damage need responsive, tailored support and I’m pleased Government has recognised that Citizens Advice Bureaux are well-placed to deliver this help to shell-shocked communities.

“Even after the water recedes, the impact of flooding can last for years. In the next few weeks we’ll deliver help to affected households to ensure they have the everyday essentials.  In the coming months and years we’ll work with colleagues in Government, the insurance industry, local authorities and community groups to help people put their lives back together.”

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Notes to editors:

1. The Citizens Advice service comprises a network of local bureaux, all of which are independent charities, the Citizens Advice consumer service and national charity Citizens Advice. Together we help people resolve their money, legal and other problems by providing information and advice and by influencing policymakers. For more see the Citizens Advice website.
2. The advice provided by the Citizens Advice service is free, independent, confidential, and impartial, and available to everyone regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, age or nationality.
3. To find your local bureau in England and Wales, visit citizensadvice.org.uk. You can also get advice online at adviceguide.org.uk
4. You can get consumer advice from the Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06 or 03454 04 05 05 for Welsh language speakers
5. Citizens Advice Bureaux in England and Wales advised 2.3 million clients on 5.4 million problems from October 2013 to September 2014. For full 2013/2014  service statistics see our quarterly publication Advice trends
6. Citizens Advice service staff are supported by more than 21,000 trained volunteers, working at over 3,000 service outlets across England and Wales.