Here's 100,000 reasons why charities like ours need to exist

Kieran Bruce on an essential service Eight years ago, Citizens Advice Scotland set up a special service to support people claiming Universal Credit (UC) for the first time. The Help to Claim (HTC) service has recently reached a major milestone: our advisers have now provided support to over 100,000 people. I've been lucky to work on HTC for just over two years now, and I feel great admiration towards my colleagues. They have worked tirelessly to make sure that every one of those 100,000 people received a compassionate and quality service. You might be wondering, why do we need a special project like this at all? Unfortunately, the application process for UC is lengthy and complex. Many people also have particular problems, which can add to the complexity. Pairing this with the fact that many find themselves in need at short notice – eg after a sudden job loss - can lead them to feel a sense of dread at the daunting task ahead. Having ADHD myself, and even with my experience now of working on this project, I wouldn't feel confident taking on this process without support. A good example of what I'm talking about is the case of Sandra, who contacted HTC recently. She is a full-time carer for her husband Pete, who is a profoundly disabled veteran. They live in dedicated housing for disabled veterans, and they received Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction. But when Sandra reached state pension age, their local council told them this support would now end, and that they should claim UC instead. Without help to pay their rent and Council Tax, the couple were faced with having to find £620 per month to meet their essential costs. Our HTC adviser worked hard to get the couple access to the support that they were entitled to, coming up against digital system issues and repeated requests for information on the journey. It took four months and the involvement of the couple's local MP to achieve a resolution. They were eventually awarded the correct UC entitlement, which was backdated, and we also got their Council Tax Reduction reinstated. Going forward, the couple will be around £200 a month better off than they were before. During this period, Sandra experienced intense pressure on her fragile mental health and Pete was hospitalised, fuelling a cycle of stress and deteriorating health. Sandra has told us that without HTC's support she would have given up on the prospect of getting financial support. Sandra's case is of course unique, but it is far from rare. Many people using our service have complex circumstances. and some feel anxious about approaching the UC process itself. If HTC didn't exist, what would happen to those people? If anyone is ever in doubt about why charities like Citizens Advice need continued stable funding, I can tell them about Sandra's case, and 99,999 others where those involved would have been equally lost without our help. It's why services like HTC – and the Citizens Advice network in general – need to exist. Kieran Bruce is part of the Help to Claim project at Citizens Advice Scotland. The project offers help with new UC claims up till the first full and correct payment is received. Contact us on 0800 0232581 or visit www.cas.org.uk/get-advice/help-claim. This column was first published in the Herald.