Citizens Advice Southwark provides free, confidential, independent, and impartial advice to help people resolve their problems with money, housing, employment, legal issues, and much more besides. Their work improves clients’ financial situations, as well as their overall health, stress levels, and wellbeing.
In late 2022, United St Saviour’s Charity partnered with Citizens Advice Southwark to establish an information and advice service to be delivered from a range of food banks/food hubs across the borough.
This was in response to the escalating cost-of-living crisis for residents of Southwark which was clearly resulting in financial stress and increasing use of food-banks. The idea was to set up an outreach-based advice service that would be located in trusted community locations in order to reach those most in need and who may not normally be engaging with formal advice services. The advice includes targeted advice on debt, income maximisation, housing and benefits, to people experiencing food insecurity through outreach sessions at partner premises and by referral from partners.
Due to continued demand for the service, we have awarded Citizens Advice Southwark with a further two years of funding for the project.