The chief economist at the Bank of England has paid a visit to West Lothian Citizens Advice Bureau.
Andrew Haldane, who is also a member of the bank’s monetary policy committee, paid a visit to the Livingston branch, where he met with both clients and advisers to see some of the problems people are dealing with in today’s economy.
Also on the visit was Derek Mitchell, chief executive of Citizens Advice Scotland.
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Karen Nailen, manager of West Lothian CAB and a member of the board of CAS, said: “We were delighted to host this visit here in Livingston, and to show Mr Haldane the real-life picture that our advisers see every day. People come to the CAB with all sorts of problems, but debt is the second biggest advice area for us, after social security.
“People can be behind on their rent or have missed mortgage or council tax payments, or they may be struggling to manage credit card debts or payday loans. Decisions on interest rates have a huge impact on such people, and we would like to thank the local clients who agreed to meet Mr Haldane and discuss their situation with him.”
Andrew Haldane said: “The discussions I’ve had today have been hugely informative and helpful. Talking to the staff and volunteers at the Citizens Advice Bureau in Livingston really brought home to me some of the issues that are facing households in West Lothian and beyond, particularly with regards to debt.
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“My conversations with those who are currently using the CAB services revealed to me the importance of having such an experienced, sensitive and impartial source of advice. I saw first-hand how the support provided can help people to overcome some of the stigma and embarrassment that can be associated with talking about debt, and set them on the right path towards getting their finances back on track.”
Derek Mitchell, chief executive of Citizens Advice Scotland, said: “We chose West Lothian CAB for this visit because it is very representative of the CAB service in Scotland. After the conversations with clients, we spoke to Mr Haldane about how these were similar across the whole of our network. The CAB is the only agency that offers face-to-face advice across the whole of Scotland and across a broad range of issues, from debt and poverty to housing problems and consumer issues – all of which are impacted by the Bank’s decisions.”
