Dumfries and Galloway Citizens Advice Service (D&G CAS) is facing the possibility of losing all of its funding from Dumfries and Galloway Council.
It is one of a number of options being considered in a new local authority budget consultation that will impact on the third sector across the region.
The budget consultation can be found on the council’s website and closes on Sunday 23rd November.
Phil Stewart, D&G CAS Chief Executive Officer, said the prospect of losing all of the organisation’s core funding would be a catastrophic blow.
“Not just for 66 jobs and the 35 volunteers we support, but critically for the people of Dumfries and Galloway in need of the lifeline services we offer- a service that they come to because the help and support they need is not available anywhere else,” he said.
The organisation had worked hard to embed its advice service into communities right across the region, providing vital support at the “right place, at the right time and in the right way”.
Over the past year, core investment by the Council had helped it to provide a lifeline service to over 8000 clients with 40,000 issues, putting almost £10 million back into their pockets and the local economy.
Phil said: “In addition, we have helped locals deal with £8.6 million of debt but the real value of our advice service goes way beyond just the numbers. It helps people to keep roofs over their heads, food on the table and the peace of mind to know there is someone to offer a helping hand in tough times.”
Marsali Caig, Chair of the D&G CAS Board accepted the Council was faced with making “radical savings” but that impacting the most vulnerable was not the place to start.
“The core investment we receive from the Council delivers expert advice and positive financial outcomes, but the harder to measure impact is the peace of mind it can bring to people who can often be facing problems and challenges that impact upon how you feel every day. Peace of mind is priceless,” she said.
“As a local independent charity, we believe that everyone is entitled to a decent standard of living, and the thousands of people we help with that every year speaks for itself in the feedback our clients give us. There is only a short timescale to respond to the Council consultation and time is of the essence.”
Service users and the wider public are now being encouraged to write to local councillors, MSPs and MPs about the potential cuts to the service and the wider third sector.
Phil said the cuts would inflict injustice and deprivation upon communities adding: “We know that we support some of our most vulnerable local people and the funding we receive helps to reduce the hardship that too many of our friends, neighbours and families are facing.”