A NEW campaign is encouraging people to seek advice as the cost-of-living crisis continues to squeeze household budgets.
Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) launched Our Advice Adds Up on Monday with energy bills set to increase this Autumn.
The charity is calling on anyone concerned about their finances to get in touch through its public advice site, interactive self-help tools such as www.moneymap.scot, or through a local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB).
This comes following a warning from CAS, who said people are facing a "financial cliff edge".
New analysis showed one in 10 people north of the Border had no money left after spending on taxes, housing, utilities and food.
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, it has been reported that around one in five people who have come to the Citizens Advice network for help have made some form of gain – with the average financial value being more than £4400.
This has included direct cash payments and benefits such as free school uniforms.
CAS chief executive Derek Mitchell said: “The Citizens Advice network has been helping people in Scotland since the Second World War and we are here to help people during this crisis.
“Advisers in CABs across the country get real results, with one in five people who seek advice seeing some sort of financial gain, the average value of which is over £4400.
“That can be life-changing for people – the advice really does add up.
“The network helped over 171,000 people last year, and a further 2.5 million people checked our online advice pages.
“The crucial thing to understand is we are for everyone, regardless of background or circumstance. Our advice is confidential, impartial and free. We don’t charge people for advice and we don’t judge either – we just help.
“This crisis is on the scale of the pandemic, and need to see a similar sort of response to it in the coming days from policy-makers.
"Meanwhile, CABs in communities across Scotland will be on the frontline of this crisis helping people.”
