‘It’s the worst I’ve seen it’: A day at Citizens Advice Bureau in Smethwick

“I’m here to see an adviser about food vouchers please,” said one woman. “Milk used to be £1.10 but it’s £1.25 now. That’s a lot. All the price increases are sneaky and catch you without warning.”

Down the corridor, just outside interview room two, another woman stares into her phone and appears dejected. Another clutches her British Gas bills.

This is the first point of contact for many who have been affected by Britain’s cost of living crisis. The advisers who help low-income families say they are bracing themselves for the inevitable. “I’ve said to my staff this is the calm before the storm and these enquiries are only likely to increase.” said Shaz Begum, locality manager of the Sandwell and Walsall Citizens Advice.

Ms Begum has been employed at the Smethwick branch for 12 years, but has been working at Citizens Advice for the last 25 years. She said she has seen “monumental change” in people on the back of the pandemic.

“The feeling you get is it’s a lot worse now than in recent years. One of my concerns is how many families don’t have access to the internet, and a lot of services have become digital. This is across all generations – not just the elderly.”

“People forget it’s not just the energy costs, or the price of fuel increases. It’s things like the bedroom tax, and the price of rent, council tax and food prices which piles on,” said Michelle Smitten, operations manager at Citizens Advice Sandwell and Walsall.

The council tax rises are a recurring conversation in the branch. “Some people have to choose which bills to pay off. Keeping the lights on, or feeding your children, has become a choice,” says Dan Kendrick, a supervisor.

In the past three months, his team has given more food vouchers to those in need than during the pandemic. Nationally, Citizens Advice referred 24,752 people to food banks or to other charitable support in March, up by 44 per cent on the same time last year.

The Smethwick-based bureau is open five days a week from 9am to 3pm, with the exception of Friday, which is 9am – 12.30pm. On Thursday, the service is quiet, save for a few faces who look worried when enquiring about council tax reductions.

Based in a rundown shopping centre just off the high street, the bureau looks to be the only unit busy. Most of the shops here have their shutters down, and feel as cold as the harsh April wind outside.

It’s been open for 18 months, after the branch moved location into a bigger hub. “We closed the original office the last day before the pandemic started. I remember saying to my team: ‘See you in a couple of weeks’. It might be a reason why our new branch doesn’t attract the footfall it used to,” said Ms Begum.

The small team of specialist advisers are trained to help people who are desperate. Many of those referred here have English as a second language, or don’t speak English at all.

“One lady came in and didn’t know how to pay off her energy bills. The only way she got help was because I could speak Punjabi,” said Daljit Jassi, who has been volunteering at the branch while undertaking her law degree at Birmingham city university.

The bureau also has mobile clinics that allow Citizens Advice workers to reach out to people across Sandwell and Walsall. It’s the same service, people can get advice on debt, housing, immigration, and benefits. It’s popular with the locals, according to Mr Kendrick.

“We never turn anyone away. Some people can’t afford a £4 bus return ticket to visit our main branch here, so we use the mobile hubs to come to them.

“Of course, we have postcodes that we can’t service due to the catchment areas but we always look to point them in the direction of other charities or partner organisations who can help”, said Mr Kendrick.

In interview room one, an adviser is trying to contact a woman to help with her council tax bills. The phone number provided does not connect. The housing officer linked to the woman provides a different number.

“We won’t be able to see her today as she has been taken to the hospital in an ambulance. We will follow this up and if the client isn’t able to attend we can always carry out a home visit”, said Dav Nall, a supervisor.

Sandwell is often looked over compared to urban areas in Birmingham, but it is listed as the 12th most deprived local authority in England. About 20 per cent of its households were defined as experiencing fuel poverty, higher than the UK average, according to government figures.

The cost of living will be felt across most of the six towns in Sandwell. Income deprivation, according to the ONS, is distributed evenly, save for a few pockets in Wednesbury and Old Hill.

The lifeline for many, for now, has been the local food banks. “We get a lot of donations from Aldi in Bearwood. We pick them up and send them to the local food bank. In addition to this there are local soup kitchens situated in community centres, and food pantries. Sometimes the queues go right out the back door and down the streets,” said Ms Begum.

The future looks bleak, and her team senses a burgeoning demand for their services. Ms Begum is anxious how continued austerity and the cost of living will impact their clients and community. “We will continue to help as many people as possible and support them during these difficult times,” she said.