Credit unions to link up with CAB

Barclays Bank has got behind the so-called Financial Inclusion Partnership Project, which will promote the exchange of best practice and aim to build useful operating collaboration between the credit unions and CAB.

In a number of instances in England and Wales, CAB and relevant unions are already working together to develop joint services, while part of the newly launched project aims to establish where similar collaboration would be welcomed.

“As the leading provider of face-to-face debt advice, Citizens Advice is ideally placed to provide support and information to people worried about debt, as well as helping people improve their financial literacy skills,” said Mark Lyonette, chief executive of the Association of British Credit Unions Limited.

In January of this year 15 per cent more people approached the Citizens Advice about debt issues than was the case during the same month in 2006, the charity revealed recently.