Cost of living support available at Carmarthenshire’s customer service Hwbs

From today, Thursday, December 1, Carmarthenshire County Council’s customer service Hwbs in Carmarthen, Ammanford and Llanelli will offer an enhanced range of support, advice and services to residents.

This additional service has been introduced from an action taken at a recent cost of living collaboration event that was hosted by Carmarthenshire County Council that saw stakeholders gather to discuss ways of helping the people of Carmarthenshire with the increasing cost of living.

The Council’s team of Hwb advisers will be available every day, along with housing officers and employability advisers, to provide tailored packages of support to residents, with advice and guidance on what our residents are entitled to claim, based on their individual circumstances. Visitors to the Hwbs can also access information on the services available to support them as the cost of living increases.

The aim is to also work closely with specific third sector organisations such as Citizen’s Advice Bureau and Careers Wales to support this work and by also being present in the Hwbs to provide even further advice to residents.

Targeted support will also be available at every Hwb, with each day dedicated to a service area that matters most to residents. Officers from various Council service areas, will be on hand to answer questions and offer support and advice to residents in need.

The services available at Hwbs on particular days are:

Monday – Recycling and waste advice

Tuesday – Trading Standards

Wednesday – Employability

Thursday – Housing

Friday – Various services

The information and advice offered on a Friday will differ from week to week and will be dictated by the needs of residents and other factors.

Cllr Linda Evans, Deputy Leader and Cabinet lead said: “Since April, our Hwb Advisers have helped over 800 Carmarthenshire residents by providing advice and support on accessing a range of council and third-party support schemes, including blue badges for disabled parking, council tax discounts, school meals and uniform grants, referrals to employability schemes and much more.

“This new approach will enable residents to have a wide range of issues addressed, at the first point of contact. This includes help to identify what support they’re entitled to, questions about recycling collections, support to help them gain employment and much more”.

Cllr Darren Price, Leader of Carmarthenshire County Council said: “Enhancing the way our customer service Hwbs support residents will enable everyone to access the help they need more easily as well as expanding on the number services we can offer in this way. As a result, we will be appointing personal budget officers to help those in need to improve and increase their financial capability, which we anticipate will benefit a number of people across Carmarthenshire as the cost of living increases”.

“I welcome this enhanced service in Carmarthenshire’s three main towns, but also recognise these services are needed in other areas of the county. We are currently identifying key projects within our rural areas that we can support and help with cascading information”.

To access help from a Hwb adviser or for more information about how to access support, benefits and services, visit the Claim What’s Yours page on Carmarthenshire County Council’s website.