I was delighted to meet David Reynolds, the new Chief Exec at Citizens Advice St Helens. We talked about key issues impacting people in the borough, particularly the cost of living crisis, soaring energy prices, housing issues and debt.

It is clear the Conservative Government is  failing to address the real and damaging impact of the steep rises in the cost of bills, leaving to many people having to make difficult choices between heating and eating. Working families are already feeling the crunch. But the triple whammy of an imminent rise in the energy, real wages falling and Tory tax rises coming down the tracks are going to make this crisis even worse.

David also informed me of two new pieces of research they are working on, cost of school uniforms and repairs in private properties. This is important research that will go a long way in helping us further understand and tackle the problem locally.

Citizens Advice provide a lifeline for so many people in need of support, you can find more information about them and lots of helpful information on their website or if you are in need of support, the contact details for our local Citizens Advice can be found by clicking here.