A new survey by AdviceUK has revealed a critical situation for free, independent advice centres across Sussex. With 90% of advice organisations across the UK experiencing a rise in demand, and 61% at risk of cutting back services due to funding shortfalls, many people in Sussex could lose access to essential support services offering free, independent advice to people in crisis.
AdviceUK’s CEO, Liz Bayram, described the findings as “a stark warning” that the future of advice services – and the communities they serve – is in jeopardy. She highlighted that a lack of sustainable funding is leaving staff and volunteers overwhelmed.
“Without these services, people in Sussex and across the UK have nowhere else to turn,” Bayram warned. “This will push more people into deeper crisis and cut off a lifeline for vulnerable families.”
BHT Sussex is an active member of AdviceUK and is supporting their Advice Saves campaign, which is calling for action to support free, independent advice services. We run advice centres in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings, which provide specialist housing and money management advice, an immigration legal service, and In Court Duty Schemes which provide last-minute emergency advice for people facing eviction from their homes. Suzanne Hennell, Senior Manager of Advice Services at BHT Sussex, who attended the launch of the Advice Saves campaign in Parliament last week, said:
In these challenging times, services like ours are in demand and under pressure. Our Advice Centres across Sussex work to ensure that people can stay in their homes, be supported and have access to justice regardless of their circumstances. Last year we supported 2,337 people and prevented 820 households from becoming homeless.
We were pleased to join other advice centre leaders, policymakers and more than 20 MPs at the launch of the Advice Saves campaign last week, and hope we can work together to find sustainable solutions for funding and staffing.
Advice UK is calling for sustainable funding through mandating local authorities to provide social welfare advice; a comprehensive advice sector strategy; and a workforce development strategy with improved career pathways including apprenticeships to support recruitment, development and retention.
This would help people in Sussex to continue to have access to life-transforming support when they need it most.
