Comprehensive Spending Review

AdviceUK and the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review

In advance of this autumn’s Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), AdviceUK has made representations to HM Treasury on what we see as the key issues affecting our members and the people they support.

Promoting the wellbeing of individuals and the communities in which they live is fundamental. AdviceUK believes that the CSR must ensure that funding is made available to: –

• Reinstate the £20 Universal Credit uplift, and increase legacy benefits in line with this uplift
• Restore the Social Fund
• Provide more support for energy bills for people on low incomes
• Make financial support available for tenants at risk of being evicted due to COVID-related loss of income
• Build more social housing and reduce the amount of money going to private landlords in rent by introducing a rent cap

AdviceUK thinks that it is also essential that the CSR makes funding available to support the advice sector and those seeking advice. In particular, the CSR should: –

• Protect the legal aid budget
• Increase funding to support Litigants in Person
• Protect local authority funding for advice
• Provide more direct funding to the independent advice sector

AdviceUK’s Policy and Campaigns Co-ordinator David Hawkes said: “Households have been under financial strain for more than a decade and the pandemic has exacerbated the pressures faced by many families. It is essential that the Comprehensive Spending Review makes funding available to alleviate these problems, as well as providing additional support to the advice sector so that it can help people to improve their lives.”

For further information please contact influencing.