The network is calling on politicians to put the cost of living at the heart of their policies.
Citizens Advice staff in Scotland have unlocked almost £1.3 billion for people across the country in the past decade, fresh figures have shown.
Analysis revealed that the network has delivered the equivalent of £1.29 billion for people who turned to the network for help since 2009/10.
This figure includes social security entitlements, written-off debt, pay and entitlements owed by employers, tax savings, consumer compensation and food bank referrals.
During the general election campaign, the charity published its annual state of the nation report, which highlighted more than a doubling of advice issued on Universal Credit in 2018/19 to almost 40,000, over 100,000 pieces of advice issued in relation to debt and over 40,000 pieces of advice issued in relation to employment, with pay and entitlements the top concern.
Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) is now calling on politicians to make a New Year’s resolution to put the cost of living at the heart of their policies next year.
Chief executive Derek Mitchell said: “With a footprint in every community in the country, the Citizens Advice network in Scotland helps hundreds of thousands of people each year, and in the past decade we have unlocked staggering amounts of money for the people who have turned to us for help.
“Last year alone our network put £131 million back into people’s pockets – and the figure for the last decade has been almost £1.3bn.
“That’s money that’s been put back into household budgets, communities and local high streets, and it shows how complex the economy can be for people to navigate, whether it’s the welfare state, rights at work as a consumer.
“As a new decade dawns we want to see policymakers – whether they are in parliament, government, council chambers or industry – to really put living standards at the heart of their policy agenda.
“For other people seeking to navigate the bills that fall through the letterbox in the New Year – the Citizens Advice network in Scotland is here to help.”
