A plea has been made to save council funding for an advice service seen as the “last refuge” for those with nowhere else to turn.
Peter Millen urged Kirklees Cabinet to dig into the council’s reserves to support the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), which may lose half of its funding as Kirklees Council looks to make sweeping budget cuts.
Mr Millen, of the Kirklees’ Anti-Cuts Alliance, urged the Cabinet to find a way to avoid the cuts which he said amounted “to the destruction of support and lifelines that Kirklees people have relied on for decades”.
Draft budget plans show that CAB, the Law Centre and Fusion Housing could see £462,000 of council funding cut for the next two years.
CAB volunteer Mr Millen told Cabinet members to “think outside the box, fight for us when necessary”.
“There are some things that we don’t expect from the councillors we elect. We don’t expect that you’ll slash profit-making advice services – the last refuge for many who can’t afford help anywhere else – by 50%.”
He called for reserves to be earmarked for the service and for Kirklees councillors to join the revolt against austerity adding: “The strains are showing now: the country can’t stand much more, and councils – including Conservative councils – throughout the land are in revolt.
“Different sacrifices will be found and you risk being seen standing out, and standing alone, as the red-handed culprits for despised, avoidable cuts which will have destroyed the lives of thousands.
“And yet you have a choice. You really do need to think again.”
Clr David Sheard, council leader, said: “I have one question about the reserves and balances; when this is spent in year one, what about the second year?”
He said he would add Mr Millen’s comments to the consultation and it would be considered when making a decision.
