Highlands advice service for new mothers could be axed
A "vital" service providing financial advice to new mothers and people with mental health issues could soon dry up.
Highland Council has been funding the projects, delivered by Citizens’ Advice Bureaux (CAB) across the region but this is due to come to an end in March.
And the local authority’s finance director has warned there will be no money available to continue the service unless futher budget cuts are made.
The project has created eight part time jobs and helps people to understand what benefits they may be entitled to through a preventative outreach service, instead of waiting for those in need to seek help.
NHS Highland had previously contributed to the costs but have now said the money will no longer be available.
East Sutherland and Edderton councillor Deirdre Mackay asked for the funding to continue into the next financial year during the resources committee today (Wednesday).
"We were supposed to be given regular updates on the projects but we haven’t," she said.
"These are very important projects and involve jobs so this is time critical. We are nearing the end of the period we agreed and I think we should carry this on for a further year.
"If we had been kept up to date we would be in a position to plan ahead but we haven’t had that."
She was backed up by Tain and Easter Ross councillor Jamie Stone who said he would be "appalled" if the £135,000 funding was scrapped, in light of an additional £6 million provided by the Scottish Government last week.
"The thought of this funding ending with a bump at the end of March appalls me," he said.
"The Scottish Government has given us funding and I think we should look at it to safeguard this service and demonstrate that we care."
But finance director Derek Yule warned the council may not be able to continue paying for the projects as it struggles to make ends meet.
"There is no funding in place post-April for these to continue," he said.
"You have a budget to meet next week and have been asked to make savings.
"I have no solution to offer you in terms of how that funding could be made unless you can find a saving somewhere else."
Council leader Margaret Davidson pointed out that even if the clocal authority continues to fund the services, they may not be viable without the other grants.
"If we continue this we will just be putting money on the table without knowing exactly what the plan is," she said.
"They [CAB] have not approached us about this, it should have been dealt with before now.
"We haven’t got enough information in front of us."
Cllrs will ask CAB to provide a report on the service when the full council meets on March 9 before a decision is made.
