Stall And Petition in Support of Birmingham CAB – Saturday

Birmingham CAB is facing the closure of three of four offices, leaving just the city centre bureau open for giving advice, as funding cuts in the council budget cuts have left the organisation short of £120,000. Communities Against the Cuts have already gathered hundreds of signatures for a petition demanding the council makes up the shortfall, from residents in south west Birmingham who use the Northfield office that will close, and others have had similar responses around the offices in Tyseley and Kingstanding. We’ll be in the city centre with Communities Against the Cuts on Saturday from 11am-1pm by the city centre CAB offices on Corporation Street.

11am – 1pm
By CAB Offices, Gazette Buildings, 168 Corporation Street, Birmingham, B4 6TF

Birmingham advice services are set to be “overwhelmed” by benefits casework following welfare reforms, and CAB having already seen a 141% rise in casework just for disability benefits in the past two years.
With council tax benefit cuts, a change in sanctions regime for unemployed and disabled claimants, a £50 fine for mistakes on your benefits forms, housing benefit caps and the change to universal credit adding to their caseload, the CAB and other advice services are facing funding cuts and the ending of legal aid for benefits cases.

For Birmingham CAB, funding cuts have left them £120,000 short and unable to maintain their offices outside of the city centre. This means that residents around Birmingham will have to travel further at greater cost on a limited budget to access advice that might meant the difference between a successful appeal for an ATOS or benefits sanction decision and not having enough money for food and heating.

If you can come and help us on the stall on Saturday it would be very appreciated – if you can just pop past and sign the petition that would be great. If you want a copy of the petition to take round your street or put in a local shop, please email us at BirminghamAgainstTheCuts@gmail.com

You can also donate directly to CAB by visiting www.bcabs.org.uk, texting BCAB01 followed by £ and your donation to 70070, or calling 08444 77 10 10.