Citizens Advice East End: Changing Lives
Citizens Advice East End provides free, confidential, and impartial advice to anyone in East London who needs support with issues including benefits, debt, money, housing and employment.
Since the pandemic, the number of calls we receive has increased 300% – as vulnerable residents urgently need our advice.
We need your help to continue supporting vulnerable residents who are facing poverty and extreme hardship across Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Newham. Please support our Changing Lives appeal.
Donate now and help us change lives this winter.
The pandemic has increased the need for our service massively making us the most overstretched we have ever been. We have seen a 94% increase in the number of clients we have supported since the pandemic began. Unfortunately, there are still many more clients who we are unable to support due to the lack of resources. Our team is working flat out to help as many people as we can. But we are still operating with the same number of staff despite the increasing client demand.
As living costs rise, enquiries relating to benefits claims have doubled over the last year, with many people struggling to afford essentials.
We have supported residents with:
- Over £38,000 issued in grants to support families with basic household necessities such as beds, cookers, fridge/freezers and clothing
- Over 2,800 fuel vouchers already issued to those who are struggling to pay their energy bills and stay warm this winter.
- Over 600 food bank referrals for families who are struggling to buy basic food essentials.
In the words of one of our clients:
You make life for people with no help like me so much better. I don’t know where I would be without your help. I wish they could make lots of copies of you to help people like myself.
Recorded in client feedback, 2021
Help us change more lives for the better.
Donate now and help us change lives this winter.