Keith Brown MSP, Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Clackmannanshire & Dunblane constituency, has welcomed the communication campaign being launched today by the Citizens Advice network in Scotland, encouraging people who are anxious about energy bills or the cost of living to seek advice.

Speaking this afternoon, Keith said:

“This welcome information campaign, called Worried this Winter, is backed by newly-published research showing that energy bills are the top concern for over 2.2 million people in Scotland this winter, and that a further 1.4 million are worried about being able to properly heat their home. 

“With the Autumn Statement approaching, these sort of figures are exactly why the Deputy First Minister has been urging the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer not to cut benefits – or taxes – but to use the full range of reserved powers to help the many families, continuing to struggle with the cost of living, to address these challenges. 

“It was last autumn’s Mini-Budget that saw the Tories tank the economy and plunge us all into this cost-of-living-crisis.  They must not compound that error this year.

“And it is in context that I am really pleased to see Citizens Advice offering some timely pointers about where help can be found for those worried about how to pay their bills this winter.

“For one-to-one advice it is easy to visit a local CAB, but you don’t have to go in to the office to get help. Going through the website www.cas.org.uk/worried will offer people the opportunity to choose the advice options that work for them.

“CAB online advice pages, for example, were used by around 2.5 million people last year, and they also have interactive self-help tools like the MoneyMap and Botchat services. 

“Citizens Advice do a fantastic job – the average gain for energy advice last year was over £400, and the average gain for advice more broadly was over £3,700.

“It is too easy to get cynical about the system and think that the help that is out there is only for other people.  I want as many of my constituents as possible to get the help they are due and the advice that can help them access it.”