Citizen's Advice Oldham support rate jumps by 61% compared to this time last year

The Citizen's Advice Bureau has seen unwelcome record demand for support on cost-of-living issues in 2023, particularly compared to previous years. 

In 2022, CAB staff helped more than 200,000 people with crisis support (such as food bank referrals and emergency charitable support).

This is nearly 50% higher than 2021, and more than double the numbers they helped in 2020.

This has continued to get worse.

In January 2023, CAB helped three people every minute with crisis support.

Citizens Advice Oldham helped 730 people with support this January.

This is up 61% from January, 2022.

In 2022, the top three cost-of-living issues people across Oldham came to staff for support with were personal independence payments, energy, and charitable support and food banks.

Steve Hughes, Chief Officer of Citizens Advice Oldham, said: “Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford has seen huge demand for its services over the past 12 months. 

“Every day we hear from people in desperate situations, who are struggling to get by and have been pushed to breaking point by the cost-of-living crisis.

“We’re helping people on benefits, workers, families, pensioners and lots of people who have never needed to access support before.

“People continue to cut back on essentials in a desperate attempt to keep their heads above the water, this crisis is far from over.”

The government needs to ensure that Ofgem and energy suppliers follow through on their commitments around prepayment meters.

In addition, the government must keep the Energy Price Guarantee, which limits how much energy suppliers can charge, at £2,500 from April to provide support for people that need it most. 

Citizens Advice research has found more than half (58%) of private renters are living in damp and draughty rented homes - and it’s affecting their health.

The CAB is calling on the government to bring regulation of the private rental sector in line with social housing, placing strict, legally binding timelines on social landlords to deal with serious issues such as damp and mould.

You can support the CAB campaign by sharing your experience of living with damp in your rented home.

All responses are anonymous and may be used to support CAB's local and national campaign work (in social media or in the news media).

Where any identifying information is shared, staff will anonymise it.

For information and advice, contact Citizens Advice Oldham on 0808 278 7803, or visit the website.

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