CAB forced to cut hours (From Stroud News and Journal)

CAB forced to cut hours

A VITAL source of advice and support for thousands of Five Valleys residents is cutting its hours and staff to cope with increasing financial constraints.

The Stroud branch of the Citizen's Advice Bureau has been forced to trim down its operation after £128,000 of funding was frozen against inflation for the last three years.

"It is not an absolutely new situation but it's effect is becoming more acute as far as funding is concerned," said Stroud branch manager Adam Cain. "It is an expensive thing. We were unable to keep the level of donations coming in."

The charity, which offers advice on everything from legal matters to finance and employment, will now run its drop-in sessions and phonelines on separate days, rather than both together.

"We do handle things that make a big difference to people's lives," said Mr Cain. "We can make the difference between whether you lose your home or not and whether you have enough money to live on."

Stephen Glanfield, finance cabinet member for Stroud District Council and also the council representative to the CAB, could not confirm whether the charity would receive a funding boost but said: "One of the reasons I accepted the nomination to the CAB was very specifically so that I could be there to help."

The Stroud branch of the CAB will now take phone callers only from 10am until 4pm on Mondays and Fridays, drop-in callers only from 10am until 1pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays and drop-in callers only from 11am until 2pm on Wednesdays.