Borders advice bureaux busier than ever, they say, despite offices being shut

Citizens’ Advice offices across the Borders might now be shut, but their staff are busier than ever providing support for users as the current Covid-19 crisis continues.
Kelso's Citizens' Advice office.Kelso's Citizens' Advice office.
Kelso's Citizens' Advice office.

Roxburgh and Berwickshire Citizens’ Advice Bureau’s seven paid staff are now taking calls at their homes instead of their usual workplaces to comply with lockdown rules.

The network’s team of 42 volunteers has been stood down, but it is hoped that many of them will be back on duty over the next few weeks.

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Calls made to the bureau’s offices in Hawick, Kelso, Duns and Eyemouth are being redirected, and emails to [email protected] are still being answered.

Over the last month, the bureau has dealt with almost 500 client contacts and assisted with more than 1,600 issues, an increase on last year’s figures for the same period.

Unsurprisingly, the largest number of calls it’s taking at the moment relate to employment issues, with many clients making universal credit claims for the first time.

Bureau manager Annette McGraith said: “There’s definitely been an increase in employment issues, and benefits inquiries have naturally gone up, but employment issues are the ones that have drastically increased and also issues with debt.

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“Clients who could normally manage the commitments they had are now finding that a bit of a struggle, and we are reassuring them that companies are aware of that and saying to try and communicate with them and reduce payments where possible and take payment holidays if that is an option.

“We’re still hugely busy, and although the offices are not open, we are still very much open to offer advice. We are just not able to see clients face to face, but we will continue to deliver advice by email, telephone and by post for our older clients who do not have access to the internet.”

“People can still pick up the phone and get that local connection that they are used to with the numbers redirected.

“Calls to Hawick are being answered on a rota system, so you always get someone from Hawick picking up the phone there.”

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“Eyemouth, Kelso and Duns are being diverted to myself and I’m taking the details and an adviser is calling them back, so there is no extra expense to the client.

“We’re only working with seven paid staff now, although hopefully over the course of the weeks, we will increase the service by making sure volunteers have capabilities to give advice from home.

“All calls and emails are being responded to on the day they come in. It’s just that it is not an instant response.”

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