Alexandria’s Citizens Advice Bureau offices are set to close in a move labelled “a huge blow” in the midst of the cost of living crisis.
Chiefs insist the decision is “not about closing down our advice but relocating it” - with online and telephone services strengthened, and the potential of home visits being investigated.
The service helps thousands of people across the area with issues from debt to benefits advice.
It comes weeks after warnings the town’s Post Office could be forced shut down after owner Zunair Butt said ongoing works had “killed footfall”.
Councillor Jim Bollan, of West Dunbartonshire Community Party, fears for the impact the decision to close CAB offices in Bank Street could have during the ongoing cost of living crisis, with Alexandria’s Main Street already struggling with the works.
He told the Lennox: “The news that the Citizens Advice Bureau in Alexandria is closing its premises in the town centre will be a further huge blow to thousands of local people who use this vital service, which will be needed more than ever with the cost of living crisis affecting many local people.
“If we lose more shops as well as the Post Office, the CAB and social housing then it does not augur well for the future of the town centre as a project we’re trying to develop.
“We’re now pedalling backwards instead of developing a useful town centre for people to live and shop in.”
West Dunbartonshire CAB manager Joe McCormack said the decision had been made as a result of changing client behaviour, and not finances.
He said: “In the last three-month period, we dealt with 3,348 enquiries covering 8,670 issues.
“We’re helping more people now than we were helping before lockdown. What has changed is that over 95 percent of those enquiries were dealt with over the telephone, via email or via livechat.
“Although many clients have made the switch to telephone and digital advice, we’ve been very aware of the needs of those people who aren’t comfortable or can’t use digital and/or telephone services.
“We’ve been contemplating for some time how we can make better use of resources to modernise the way we meet the advice needs of all people.
“We feel that forcing people to travel into the town centres if they want to speak to us is not consistent with the way people live in 2022.
“Our offices are not being used as much. People want more flexibility and convenience, and it’s up to us to respond to that.”
He added: “I want to stress that this decision was not made because of funding cuts. Our funding is the same this year as it was last year.
“This is a positive decision to bring the CAB into the 21st century and means we are offering people more ways to interact with us. It is not about closing down our advice but relocating it.”
Joe insists the plans will improve the service on offer to local people, with the strengthening of online and telephone advice platforms.
He said relocating and diversifying office space makes its “face-to-face service much more localised than ever before”.
Joe added: “We are also looking at how to offer more home visits. If local people need our free, confidential advice they will have more options than ever to access it.
“The Citizens Advice Bureau is not about buildings. It’s about local people delivering a local service. This change means we will be able to offer the same kind of services in a way which is more convenient for people to use. We are very excited about it.”
WDCAB can be accessed online at www.wdcab.co.uk or by freephone on 0800 484 0136.
