Loss of council funding 'will harm vulnerable'
LDRSA charity has said the withdrawal of more than £250,000 of council funding at the end of the year will harm some of the area's most vulnerable residents.
Citizens Advice in Stockton, which supports thousands of people, said it would have to suspend outreach work and review its operation.
It said the "significant and regrettable changes" to service provision would come "when demand for advice and support remains extremely high".
A Stockton Council spokesperson said the authority was "absolutely committed" to ensuring those in need could access support.
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the Stockton and District Advice and Information Service (SDAIS) said it had supported more than 13,000 people, with over 60,000 enquiries between 2024 and 2025.
"This funding has been critical in enabling us to deliver advice, and outreach support to residents across the borough," a statement said.
"Due to its withdrawal, we are now in the position of having to undertake organisational restructuring to ensure the long-term sustainability of the service."
LDRSChief executive officer Sarah McPhie said: "The funding that we've gratefully received from the council has underpinned the work we've done for a very long time, allowing us to attract other funding from other areas. The loss of that destabilises the work we do."
She said the charity received more than £230,000 last year, which was about 16% of its funding but was "very significant".
"We're not government-funded, we're a charity. This funding underpins the other £1.3m we bring into the service," she said.
Outreach work in Billingham, Thornaby, Ingleby and Norton will be suspended.
McPhie added: "It's deeply saddening for us all really. It's an awful situation to be in where we have to step away when we know there's a deep need for our service."
The charity said it was worried about alternatives including "signposting and access to digital services" because some clients do not have a phone or struggle with literacy.
LDRSA spokesperson for Labour-led Stockton Borough Council said it had "warned that difficult choices" lay ahead and the decision was not "taken lightly".
"Moving forward, we now take a digital-first approach where residents can use a range of options to refer themselves for support, which ties in with long-term visions for the council," the spokesperson added.
"We also offer targeted support for residents who need it thanks to our more efficient, data-led approach."
