Always Somewhere to Turn If the Waters Rise Again

19 May 2012

Sometimes it never rains, but it pours. As I write this, the Government's environment secretary Caroline Spelman has just confirmed there will be a 27 per cent cut to funding for flood defences, meaning Morpeth won't be getting the defence measures it was hoping for, at least for the time being.

This news came just two weeks after the revelation that some Morpeth residents' flood insurance premiums had rocketed by 300 per cent - and excesses were reaching up to £10,000 in extreme cases.

At least when the floods hit in 2008 there was help on hand for those who found themselves without adequate insurance, in the form of the Morpeth CAB. From financial advice to a shoulder to cry on, the CAB helped hundreds of people who were left devastated in the aftermath of the worst floods to hit the town for decades.

Then, as recently as last week, Morpeth's DAWN CAB, along with other CABs across the country, were faced with the prospect of huge financial cuts as it was announced the Financial Inclusion Fund was to be axed, impacting severely on frontline debt counselling services.

Then, just days later the Government pledged £27m to ease the burden on frontline services - certainly welcome news for the communities which have become so reliant on the help and support that these services provide.

CABs have for many years offered a valuable lifeline to their local communities so it is wonderful news that these services have been given a lifeline of their own.

Every little bit helps and while the assurances that face-to-face advice can give people cannot be underestimated, Northumbrians who may not be able to access services in person can also receive free advice over the telephone through the county's dedicated advice line.

DAWN Advice believes in the CAB in Morpeth and in its value to the town - which is why we saved it from closure in 2009 - and will continue to manage it alongside our traditional telephone advice services.

We have always been proud of the accessibility and flexibility of our telephone advice and have long been conscious that not everyone living in Northumberland has easy and freely-available modes of transport to visit their local CAB, especially if they are elderly or live in the county's more rural areas.

Our advice line allows our advisers to carry out an initial assessment of people's needs over the telephone to find the most appropriate services in order to meet their individual needs. Things may seem bleak, but DAWN Advice is here to help.

Northumberland residents concerned about any matters relating to debt, housing, employment, welfare benefits or family law should contact DAWN Advice through the county's dedicated advice line on 0844 4111 309.