Advice bureau faces jobs axe

Cannock's Citizen's Advice Bureau could be forced to axe jobs and cut back its services to the public as it faces up to a financial nightmare.

The CAB, based in Allport Street, is facing a cash shortfall of £13,000 this year with the blackhole increasing to more than £27,000 next year.

CAB bosses are in talks with Cannock Chase Council to try and negotiate a rescue package but warn they will have to make redundancies if they do not get help soon.

Gerry Hindley, chairman of Cannock CAB, said: "We have an excellent working dialogue with Cannock Chase District Council who are being very supportive.

"However it is a fact that we are facing a serious financial situation."The crisis has been caused by a succession of cuts in funding in recent years including reduced cash from the lottery.

But the biggest blow to the CAB came when Cannock Chase Council which six years ago started to slash the CAB's funding by 20 per cent over two years taking away £58,000 from the charity.

Now ruling councillors have agreed to try and restore that funding but the extra cash could come too late to save jobs.

Cannock CAB has been offering free advice to local people since October 1967. In a letter to the council Mr Hindley says: "If the bureau cannot secure additional funding to cover the estimated deficit, we will have no other choice but to reduce our core staff, with a forced redundancy situation and this will have a drastic effect on the community of Cannock Chase."

Councillor Tony Williams, cabinet member responsible for the CAB, said: "We are hoping to restore the 20 per cent cuts which the Labour administration imposed when they were in power."

By Shaun Lintern