HEREFORDSHIRE Council and Herefordshire Citizens Advice Bureaux (HCAB) have reached agreement on how they can continue to work together beyond a major funding cut.

A joint statement issued today (Tues) confirmed that the on-going HCAB service will not be “as extensive as it has been”.

But, after talks on Friday, the council has agreed to release £50,000 in transition funding to HCAB and will continue to provide free space for the service in council offices while both bodies explore “future funding solutions”.

The statement also outlines a commitment between both to  “work together, and with other agencies”  on specific support for clients with welfare benefit issues.

By the terms of the agreement, HCAB will lead on this work.

In December, the council confirmed that it was to cut the funding support it offered to HCAB – a £117,460 grant and accommodation costing £75,000 a year – in favour of its own information advice model, the contract for which was awarded to Services for Independent Living (SIL) charity this week.

The council’s contract with HCAB ended on March 31.

A month earlier, full council had voted through an amendment to the 2015-16 budget calling for £50,000 of transition funding to be channelled from the council’s reserves to HCAB.

HCAB took fears of bureau closures in Leominster, Bromyard, Ledbury and Ross-on-Wye into Friday’s talks and drop-in hours in Hereford that could come down to three mornings a week.

In the last year the bureau handled over 6,000 cases locally, providing financial benefit of nearly £4 million to clients – many of whom were in dire need.

Faced with service reductions and staff redundancies, CAB trustees sought to secure some level of service for the next twelve months whilst exploring alternative options, recognising that unless “significant” new funding was  found the general advice service would remain at risk after that period.

SIL has a three-year contract from the council to provide “information, advice and signposting” in line with the requirements of the Care Act to cover all  activities and services that assist towards independent living - not just those provided by the council.

A new SIL “hub” in Hereford city centre is expected to be up and running by the summer.