The North-East’s largest Citizens’ Advice Bureau needs to treble its army of volunteers within a year to cope with rocketing demand for its life-changing help and support. Mark Tallentire reports

LISTEN to Chancellor George Osborne proudly talk about how the country can afford a rise in the minimum wage and you might think we Are all back on the road to financial security.

But a glance at the figures facing Greater Durham Citizens’ Advice Bureau (CAB) – the biggest of its kind in the North-East – might make you think again.

The service, which covers all of County Durham except Teesdale and Sedgefield, is on track to help 20,000 people this year – way above targets set only a few months ago.

In fact, 20,000 was the figure forecast for the entire county – including the two remaining independent bureaus.

To complicate matters, this boom in “business”

comes as local authority funding for the independent charity has been slashed by a quarter in only three years and central government funding for legal aid in civil cases has all but dried up.

Although Greater Durham CAB has an income of about £1.5m and 58 staff (mostly parttime), its money men expect it to have a surplus of only £6,000 this year.

In other words, virtually every penny available will be spent – helping desperate people facing legal, financial and other crises.

Speaking from his Durham City office, chief executive Neil Bradbury mourns the “explosion”

in personal debt in the Nineties and Naughties and increasingly “aggressive and nasty” approaches to lending, including from pay-day loan companies.

Between 2008 and 2011, large-scale private sector redundancies meant previously comfortably- off people who would never have dreamt of needing CAB help came through the door, he says. But the public sector cutbacks and benefits cuts of the past three years have been an even bigger hit.

The number of people seeking help with benefits issues has gone “through the roof”, he says, pointing to Labour’s changes to the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and the Coalition’s subsequent welfare reforms.

The under-occupancy charge, otherwise known as the bedroom tax, has had a big impact in County Durham, Mr Bradbury says, because of a lack of one-bedroom homes.

“These economic problems have hit everyone.

It’s true. We are seeing more people from all walks of life now.

“But the changes have hit the poorest hardest.”

Mr Bradbury fears the situation may be getting worse. He points to the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) being replaced by the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and adds: “We’re all concerned about interest rates going up.

“A lot of people are struggling, but managing to pay off their mortgage, but that could push them over the edge.”

THE CAB has been through its own reforms recently. Greater Durham was formed by the merger of the previously independent Durham, Chester-le-Street, Derwentside, East Durham and Wear Valley branches last June.

Some branches had been running at a deficit and Derwentside had “collapsed”, he says.

It is still recovering – people with non-emergency issues face a four-week waiting list.

Further, an “in principle decision” has been made to bring Teesdale and Sedgefield into the fold from April.

That would boost the number of offices from seven to ten (adding Barnard Castle, Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor to Durham, Chesterle- Street, Bishop Auckland, Consett, Peterlee, Seaham and Stanley) and make it one of the biggest CABs in the country.

Mr Bradbury wants offices to remain open every weekday, 10am to 4pm, and offer a dropin service three days a week.

“The demand for our services out there in the county . . . I don’t think we see anywhere near the number of people who need our help.

“With more money, we could double client numbers,” he says.

And it is partly that changing environment that is behind Project 300: a drive to recruit 300 new volunteers by the end of the year.

Bearing in mind the service only has 180 at present, that’s a big ask.

But Mr Bradbury, who was a CAB client before joining the service in 2008 and serving as chief executive in east Durham, believes it is a great place to give your time.

“January is a good time to think about coming in,” he says.

“If you’re thinking about making a change or if you want to make a difference, CAB is a really good place to come – whether you’re a student, retired or want to gain new skills.”

There are opportunities available for receptionists, “gateway” volunteers who meet people before referring them on to specialist help and the more familiar advisors – and new training courses are starting every fortnight.

Soon, volunteers will be able to gain an NVQ in legal advice.

“Everyone who volunteers finds they get so much more out of it,” Mr Bradbury says.

“They see people’s lives turned around on a daily basis. They see a weight lifted from their shoulders.”

Finally, Mr Bradbury issues a plea: if you’re getting into financial trouble, get help early.

“We want people to come in at this time of year,” he says.

“Everyone knows that people overspend at Christmas. But for us the busiest time of year is February to March. A lot of people only come to us when they start to get the red letters.

“If people come to see us when the problems are starting, we can help then and there would be a lot less pain and stress.”