Tom Arthur, MSP for Renfrewshire South, visited East Renfrewshire Citizen Advice Bureau (CAB) offices on Barrhead Main Street to meet with local Manager Teresa O’Hara for an update on the service’s current activities.
Following his recent meetings with frontline public sector organisations like Barrhead Housing Association in the constituency, Tom was interested to hear from Teresa how continuing effects of the Westminster-made cost of living crisis was impacting on their service.
Like other support and advice providers within Renfrewshire South and across the country, the local CAB are experiencing unprecedented demand for their services. Tom was especially concerned to hear that staff have noticed a growing trend emerging in those accessing support that have no history of financial instability, a large number of these service users are in two-income households and many have rapidly increasing consumer and utility debts.
Commenting after the visit, Tom said: “I have organised a series of engagements with local support providers across Renfrewshire South to facilitate collaborative working between these organisations and my constituency office. Through these and my cost of living advice surgeries earlier in the year, we are all working together to help our communities through this challenging time.
“The Scottish Government is wholly committed to protecting our most vulnerable from the worst effects of the cost of living crisis through a range of different supports. Your local CAB is one of the resources that you can access for information and assistance with benefits, grants and other funds that you may be entitled to.
“Thank you to Teresa and the team at East Renfrewshire CAB for doing such an incredible job in these very trying circumstances.”
