Wealden Citizens Advice re-locates to Crowborough town centre as funding continues from council

The Wealden-based charity offers free, confidential, independent and impartial advice to help resolve issues affecting Wealden resident's lives including money, housing, debt and employment.

As part of Wealden's Community Grants Programme, Wealden Citizens Advice receives £165,000 per year to help with the service provision and have had an additional one-off payment of £43,400 last year to provide additional resource due to increased pressures of the service. The service level agreement runs over the course of 2022-2025.

Between October 2023 and December 2023, Wealden Citizens Advice supported 1,125 clients with a total of 4,679 issues. 397 clients with 1,070 issues relating to welfare benefits and tax credit issues and 143 clients with 356 Universal Credit issues.

The service assisted their clients with maximising their income £394,011 during this quarter. That is an additional income gain of £115,649 achieved for clients compared to the same period of the previous year. The service also assisted their clients in having £388,504 worth of debt written off during this period which is an additional amount of £174,697 compared to the same period of the previous year.

Councillor Kelvin Williams, Alliance for Wealden (Liberal Democrat), and lead councillor for Public Health, Wellbeing and Asset Management, said, "It was great to be able to visit Wealden Citizens Advice which Wealden District Council supports financially to see the vital service that they provide to our residents to change their lives for the better.

"Many of us may have experienced debt, employment, and money issues at some point in our lives and this organisation support residents by giving free, impartial, and confidential advice to those in need. The ability of Wealden Citizens Advice to help turn round local people's circumstances in a positive way has significant social economic and wellbeing benefits for our local communities at a time when we are experiencing an ongoing cost of living crisis."

Jennifer Jadia, CEO of Wealden Citizens Advice, said, "We are immensely grateful to Wealden District Council for their generous support which enables us to continue to provide a vital service to our residents and this grant has had an enormously positive impact in supporting our organisation to meet the increase in demand for our services."

Wealden Citizens Advice can be primarily contacted for advice on 0808 278 7811 or visit their website www.wealdencitizensadvice.org.uk

Photo attached of (L-R) Wealden District Council's director David Plank, Wealden councillor Kelvin Williams, CEO of Wealden Citizen's Advice Jennifer Jadia, Nick Foskett, Chair of Trustees for Wealden Citizens Advice and Michael Salter, Trustee for Wealden Citizens Advice.