Citizen’s Advice

Citizens Advice Mid Lincolnshire offers support to people living in North Kesteven and the Borough of Boston.

In the year ending 31 March 2019, Mid Lincolnshire CAB had helped 7,392 clients with 18,281 issues. Clients are among the most vulnerable in society with 73% falling below the low-income threshold and 39% reporting a disability or long-term health condition. They experience low income, poor living conditions and live without the basic necessities of life.

By providing the right information and support, the CAB help people to find a way forward. With early intervention Citizens Advice can prevent people’s problems escalating, preventing bigger problems such as homelessness, unemployment and destitution. The most common areas of advice are benefits, debt, employment and housing. Worryingly, the complexity of issues is increasing and advisers need to find more efficient ways of working.

With this in mind, the Sleaford CAB received funding from the Evan Cornish Fund to purchase two new computers for specialist support. This will help the six full time staff, 15 part time staff and 63 volunteers based at Sleaford, to carry out benefit entitlement checks using this new comprehensive software.

The Evan Cornish Fund has also helped to purchase four webcams which will help to verify client’s identity for online Universal Credit applications. These webcams will also enable clients to benefit from the new webchat advice service which provides online face to face advice.

This new and specialised equipment will benefit the people of Sleaford over the next six years and could benefit up to 27,000 people living in, or near to, Sleaford.