THROUGHOUT the first week of lockdown, Citizens Advice Wokingham has supported nearly 280 residents through the One Front Door scheme.
And according to Chief Executive Jake Morrison, it’s prepared for an increase in demand.
Since Thursday, November 2, Citizens Advice has supported 279 people, with the bulk of requests asking for help with employment and debt.
“In lockdown one as we now call it, debt wasn’t even in the top five issues,” Mr Morrison said.
“Things have certainly developed over the year, with debt entering our top five from September onwards – it’s definitely something people are more worried about now.”
Residents have also requested help with benefits, food support and prescriptions.
And the borough council has been lending a helping hand.
“The council has been calling over 5,000 of the clinically extremely vulnerable people that live in Wokingham to assess their welfare,” the Chief Executive said.
“We’ve got 49 referrals to One Front Door from that so far, with requests like getting food and prescriptions.
“Aside from that, we are also continuing to try and increase people’s wellbeing through helping with finances, housing and practical problems,” Mr Morrison added.
“We’re looking at everything we could possibly do just to make sure that people get the right support.”
Looking forward, the Chief Executive anticipates that demand will increase as we approach the end of the year and people begin to feel the pressure of the holiday season.
Despite this, he is encouraging people to reach out if they need help.
“We are not going to be overwhelmed, so please reach out because once we know what you need, we can try and find the right level of support for you.
“We need to know what’s going on so we can help people move forward with their problems,” he said.
For more information about the One Front Door scheme, head to: citizensadvicewokingham.org.uk/coronavirus
