Residents find relief at in-person Cost of Living event

Derek, who visited to talk to Citizens Advice, said: “Literacy and the inability to access information on a computer are just two of the blockers that stop people from being able to get help online, so these in-person events are really important.  One-to-one events are very important, and people often think of issues that they wouldn’t think of if they were sat in front of a computer. Here you get treated as an individual.” 

At the roadshow, which was held at St Mark’s in Battersea, attendees were able to sit down with advisors from trusted organisations for free, confidential, and tailored support on money, debt, housing, and household bills. There were 12 stalls, including representatives from Citizens Advice, Thinking Works, and teams from the Council’s Housing service, The event was run in partnership with Wandsworth Foodbank, which helped to promote the roadshow within the local community. 

What other support is available?

The drop-in session was part of our wider cost of living programme – the most generous in London – and follows the launch of the new Access for All scheme, the best local concessionary scheme in Britain.  

Angela Ireland, Cabinet Member for Finance said: "This event shows the best of what we can do as a Council – listening to what people say they need and providing preventative support to help keep families out of hardship. We’re so proud to be able to offer London’s most generous Cost of Living support package, and Britain’s best concessionary scheme through Access for All, as well as grateful for the support that comes from our partnerships with organisations across Wandsworth.” 

Abdul

Abdul came with his daughter who is his carer, to talk to Citizens Advice about what additional benefits they are eligible for. Abdul commented: “It's been quite an eventful day today and the Citizens Advice Bureau has given me a satisfactory service, and I'm well pleased with it. This event today has been helpful and for my daughter too - she’s quite happy.” 

Lou

Lou spoke to most of the stalls for advice. She said: “I would recommend this to my friends. It’s very helpful, I have a lot of information, and I liked it. My problem was quite specific, but I know the way I need to go to fix the problem. I have nice positive information, and it has helped me a lot.” 

Dan

Dan Frith, Foodbank Manager at Wandsworth Foodbank said: “This event has the potential to be preventative, by getting advice to people before they reach the point of being in hardship. Advice work like this, delivered at the right time, can end the need for the foodbank to exist.” 

Next steps

The Council is continuing to deliver support through local partners including Citizens Advice, our Financial Inclusion team, Age UK, housing experts and more. Local partnerships allow us to reach every corner of the borough, and ensure that everyone who needs help, can access it. 

We previously ran a Cost of Living roadshow in Roehampton, and more shows are planned around the borough over the coming months.  

Find out more on our Cost of Living Hub.

or watch the video below to find out more about the Roehampton Money Advice Roadshow.