A MULTI-million pound boost from the Government will help benefit two West Devon Citizens' Advice Bureaus.
The advice service is using a £10-million funding boost to extend its opening hours and ensure more people can benefit from receiving free, independent and impartial advice. West Devon CAB based in Okehampton and Tavistock is one of 340 CABs benefiting from the funding.
This has resulted in an extension of opening hours in the Tavistock bureau by one hour per session. The bureau will now open 30 minutes earlier at 10am and close 30 minutes later at 2pm. It is open on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays and provides a telephone service during these hours.
The funding has enabled the Okehampton Bureau to retain its Wednesday advice session which was due to stop at the end of March 2009 when funding came to an end. The Okeampton Bureau is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays beween 10am and 2pm.
The CAB service has seen a large increase in enquiries linked to the economic downturn, with people seeking advice on redundancy, benefits and mortgage and secured loan arrears.
Local CAB manager Barbara Osborne said: 'This is a great vote of confidence in CAB advice and welcome recognition that bureaux need additional support right now.
'As people on low and moderate incomes are struggling to make ends meet at a time of increasing uncertainty about security of their jobs and incomes, access to reliable high quality, free, independent advice has never been more vital.'
To contact West Devon Citizens' Advice Bureau call 01837 52574 or 01822 612359.