KINGSTON: Citizens' Advice Bureau warns of 'sense of hopelessness' (From This Is Local London)

KINGSTON: Citizens' Advice Bureau warns of 'sense of hopelessness'

11:56am Friday 12th December 2008 in

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Homelessness, redundancy and debt queries have leapt since the credit crunch started to bite, according to Kingston Citizens Advice Bureau.

The number of people forced to seek help with problems at work, including dismissals and discrimination, has more than doubled since last year to 161 contacts.

And both housing and debt problems are rising steadily as homeowners face up to the true cost of racking up bills on credit and stored cards.

But the figures are likely to be the tip of the iceberg as staff become afraid to challenge bosses on unfair pay and conditions because of “a sense of hopelessness”.

The charity, which provides free, impartial advice, is bracing itself for worse times ahead by taking on extra staff, opening longer hours and making it easier for people to ask questions over the telephone.

Pippa Mackie, chief executive of Kingston CAB said: “There is a massive increase. We want to tap into the figures and find out what it means.

“What is at risk is the whole local economy and the human tragedy, which is our primary concern.

“If we can intervene and stop people losing their homes or stay in work or have the right benefits, it is going to have an effect.”

Mrs Mackie said figures which showed more people were asking about bailiffs but not as many were asking about mortgage repayments showed people might be leaving it too late to deal with their finances.

“The concern is that people are going to lose their homes because of massive arrears,” she said.

Kingston CAB has a free county court service intercepting people who are facing court ordered repossessions with a 66 percent success rate at winning a stay of execution compared with a national average of 30 percent.

In the future, school pupils and young mums could be targeted for financial advice to help them manage their money and avoid building up large debts, if the organisation wins part of a Government grant.

For more information call 0844 826 9701 or visit kcabs.org.uk