Meet the team - Becky, Client Service Officer

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At Citizens Advice Wigan Borough (CAWB), we welcome staff and volunteers from all sorts of circumstances. In this blog post, we introduce Becky, one of our Client Service Officers. Becky works across our general advice and debt teams. She started as a volunteer 3 years ago and has been a member of our staff team for just over a year.

What sort of issues does the debt team help people with?

We help people who are struggling financially and feel overwhelmed with their money situation. 

Whatever stage a client is at, we can offer support. We might go through their budget and make sure that they’re getting the right benefits - there are so many benefits available, and complex eligibility rules, so we help make this easier to understand.

We can also check if there are any other ways to increase their income or reduce their expenditure, such as discounts, grants, and trusts. 

We can then talk people through their options for dealing with different types of debt, and the advantages and disadvantages of each option. There is no typical day for a debt adviser! As every person is different, so is every money situation, and we offer tailored advice to each client.

What are some of the most common debt issues the team sees? 

Council tax arrears are very common, but so are other debts like credit cards, catalogues and even parking fines. A lot of people come to us when bailiffs get involved for debts like council tax arrears and parking fines. 

Over the past year and a half, a lot of people who have never struggled with money before are now coming to us for support. As they haven’t been in that position before, they might not know about the various options available to them. 

If someone has a debt issue, they don’t have to be afraid to speak to us about it, as there is not ‘one type’ of person who has debt issues and we may be able to take the weight off their shoulders. 

What do you enjoy most about working for CAWB? 

I particularly enjoy working for CAWB when a client says that they feel a lot better after talking about their money issues. Hearing that I’ve improved someone’s day or money situation can be very rewarding.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I like taking walks around the canal, reading (I’m trying to work through Stephen King novels currently!) and genealogy.