London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 02, 2025

Demand for crisis support soars even in wealthy UK towns

Demand for crisis support soars even in wealthy UK towns

Citizens Advice in affluent Wokingham says requests for help have nearly doubled in a year
A growing number of people in one of the most affluent areas of the country are struggling financially because of a huge spike in energy bills and the soaring cost of living, according to the chief executive of Wokingham Citizens Advice.

Many people who have been “just about managing” are now slipping into poverty and debt in Berkshire, said Jake Morrison, making him fearful for poorer regions throughout the country.

“Wokingham is one of the least deprived areas in England. It just is,” he said. “In normal times we might refer a handful of people to the food bank a week – now we are doing that in half a day.”

Morrison, who wrote on Facebook about the steep rise in demand for the service, noted that while in August 2021 his branch of the charity helped 643 people, this August they have already helped 956 people – a 48% increase.

In the whole of 2021, Citizens Advice helped 135,572 people with crisis support, but is projecting that it will help 212,966 people by the end of this year – a 57% increase.

Morgan Wild, the head of policy at Citizens Advice, said the charity was helping two people every minute with crisis support, with numbers continuing to head “in the wrong direction”.

“On a daily basis, our advisers are raising red flags about the situations people are facing: people who are terminally ill and unable to heat their homes; parents going days without food to feed their kids; and people unable to afford the bus fare to get to a food or school uniform bank.

“We need government support that matches the scale of this crisis. That means a financial lifeline for those who need it and better protections when people can’t afford their bills.”

An increase in the number of people from normally affluent areas could affect the stance of the future Conservative leader, with MPs already concerned that the party has not been sufficiently active on the issue.

The Conservative leadership frontrunner, Liz Truss, when asked about the impact of the cost of living crisis said she did not agree with “portents of doom”, and has rejected “handouts” as a way of helping people affected by the cost of living crisis, although in recent days advisers have suggested she was “ruling nothing out”.

Of the people contacting the Citizens Advice in Wokingham, 55.8% said they had reached out for help as a result of increased bills and the cost of living.

Morrison urged people to reach out for help even if they had never needed help previously, but said he worried that staff would be unable to answer calls as quickly if demand continued to grow exponentially. “As that demand increases, those people who are feeling validated by just being heard, might not even get that because the demand is going to be too high for us to have those conversations,” he said.

Charities were also having to contend with a crisis on the back of a crisis, he added – with many having already depleted rainy-day funds during the pandemic. “The money that was tucked away by charities and fundraisers to give away, it’s gone,” he said. “And that’s what’s really scary.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
×