Cuts to welfare and financial advice jobs will hit the most vulnerable in West Dunbartonshire, says councillor

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A decision to slash up to 28 welfare and financial advice jobs will hit the area’s poorest and most vulnerable residents, it’s been warned.Under proposals approved by West Dunbartonshire Council’s Labour administration in their budget, 28 full-time roles from the welfare rights and money advice services teams could be axed.This will see some teams at the local authority’s Working4U service cut from 11 to just potentially just three.Unions have reacted with fury at the decision, saying the figure was revealed at a meeting last week.The Labour group are being urged to reverse the cuts amid fears it will impact residents who are already struggling with the cost of living crisis.Working4U is a service which supports West Dunbartonshire residents seeking employment opportunities, provide assistance with benefits and debt issues, help to access learning, gain qualifications and improve digital literacy.West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC) say it’s too early to accurately confirm the number of reductions to staffing numbers.It’s feared the move could ramp up demand on West Dunbartonshire’s Citizens Advice Bureau, which has already seen its funding from WDC cut.Last year, the service supported more than 5000 people locally with financial concerns.Leven Councillor Jim Bollan, of the Community Party, commented: “Cutting these roles will impact heavily on the poorest and most vulnerable in our communities.“We are in the midst of a cost of living crisis with food inflation at 16 percent and the cost of gas and electricity almost doubled while the Tory Government cuts help to millions of families.“We need these vital services to be increased, not savagely cut, which will bring untold misery and deeper poverty to thousands of local