Demand for crisis support soars even in wealthy UK towns
A growing number of people in one of the most affluent areas of the country are struggling financially because of a huge spike in energy bills and the soaring cost of living, according to the chief executive of Wokingham Citizens Advice.
Many people who have been “just about managing” are now slipping into poverty and debt in Berkshire, said Jake Morrison, making him fearful for poorer regions throughout the country.
“Wokingham is one of the least deprived areas in England. It just is,” he said. “In normal times we might refer a handful of people to the food bank a week – now we are doing that in half a day.”
Morrison, who wrote on Facebook about the steep rise in demand for the service, noted that while in August 2021 his branch of the charity helped 643 people, this August they have already helped 956 people – a 48% increase.
In the whole of 2021, Citizens Advice helped 135,572 people with crisis support, but is projecting that it will help 212,966 people by the end of this year – a 57% increase.
Morgan Wild, the head of policy at Citizens Advice, said the charity was helping two people every minute with crisis support, with numbers continuing to head “in the wrong direction”.
“On a daily basis, our advisers are raising red flags about the situations people are facing: people who are terminally ill and unable to heat their homes; parents going days without food to feed their kids; and people unable to afford the bus fare to get to a food or school uniform bank.
“We need government support that matches the scale of this crisis. That means a financial lifeline for those who need it and better protections when people can’t afford their bills.”
An increase in the number of people from normally affluent areas could affect the
Read more on theguardian.com
