Fife advice group unlocks £12.3m for people across the region

Citizens Advice and Rights Fife (CARF) Bureau unlocked a total of £12.3m for local people who sought their help in 2019/20.
David Redpath, CEO of Citizens Advice and Rights Fife (CARF)David Redpath, CEO of Citizens Advice and Rights Fife (CARF)
David Redpath, CEO of Citizens Advice and Rights Fife (CARF)

The sum includes money gained through social security payments, employment entitlements, savings on utility costs and reductions in debt payments.

In response to lockdown, the local bureau had to suspend face-to-face advice in March 2020 but adapted quickly to circumstances and remained contactable for advice by phone and email. Since April, it has has issued 45,890 pieces of advice.

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Its offices in Kirkcaldy, Glenrothes, Leven and Dunfermline have also re-opened for face to face advice in essential circumstances for vulnerable clients.

Across Scotland as a whole, figures published today show the Citizens Advice network unlocked a staggering £170 million for people - £40million more than the previous year.

The figures mean that for every £1 invested in core advice funding, the network unlocked £16 in client gains – and that also helps the local economy and jobs.

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David Redpath,CARF CEO, said: “I’m extremely proud of the work that our team does every day. Our advisers concentrate on individual cases day by day, but when you see the total amount that we gained for people it really is quite breath-taking.

“And I would expect that a lot of that money will be spent in local shops and businesses, so helping to boost them too.”He added: “The pandemic changed the way of life for so many of us, but our amazing advisers didn’t miss a beat and ensured people in Fife got the advice they needed.

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