MP '˜deeply impressed' after visit to Citizens Advice

Sir Nicholas Soames paid a visit to the centre in Paddockhall Road last Friday (February 17) and chatted with the team about common issues faced by people living in his constituency.

He said: “I have always believed the work of Citizens Advice is invaluable. They provide a very important service to the community. I was deeply impressed by what I saw.”

Volunteers and staff at the centre were ‘delighted’ to welcome the MP.

Julie Martin, CEO of Central and South Sussex Citizens Advice, said: “We are always happy to welcome MPs to our centres, as it gives us an opportunity to share evidence of problems their constituents are facing.

“We spoke to Sir Nicholas at length about issues we’re helping our clients with every day, including benefits, debt and relationship breakdowns.

“He was particularly interested in problems our clients are encountering with Personal Independence Payment (PIP).”

The advice centre has recently published a report about PIP and the problems faced by people in West Sussex when trying to claim the benefit.

One client had their PIP benefit stopped, but at appeal was awarded £7,000 a year, including Severe Disablement Premium.

The charity supports thousands of people every year, offering advice on a huge range of issues.

The centre is open for drop-in on Monday to Friday, from 9.30am to 4pm.

People can also contact the team via webchat or email at cassca.org.uk, or phone 0344 477 1171.

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