December 2011
Rise in demand for Citizens Information and MABS
The number of people seeking information and support from Citizens Information and the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) continues to rise. In the first six months of 2011 the network of Citizens Information Services answered over half a million queries while MABS saw over 11,000 new clients.
A major focus of the work of the Citizens Information Board has been supporting people who found themselves in difficult circumstances due to job loss or debt. This response included the development of losingyourjob.ie and keepingyourhome.ie and in late 2011 the development of a new website, selfemployedsupports.ie, aimed at self-employed people on reduced incomes. Our main website citizensinformation.ie had over 4.5 million unique users in 2010 and reached 4.5 million users by October of 2011.
The majority of queries related to social welfare, employment rights and health. This pattern was mirrored in the breakdown of social policy reports received. Overall 2,700 social policy cases were documented by Citizens Information Services and the Citizens Information Phone Service. These social policy reports captured the growing number of people facing redundancy and the difficulties they experienced coping with job loss, claiming benefits and managing debt.
Late 2010 saw the launch of the new National Advocacy Service for people with disabilities. Trained advocates work with the Service to help vulnerable people with disabilities articulate their needs and access their rights. In the first six months of 2011 there were 622 clients, 208 of whom transferred from the pilot project phase.
The Citizens Information Board also works closely with many government departments and agencies linking its expertise in information provision with their subject-specific expertise.
Other highlights for 2010/11 included:
- In order to provide a better service to customers CIB have upgraded their telephone and data systems. You can now call 0761 07 4000 for the Citizens Information Phone Service and 0761 07 2000 for the MABS Helpline
- The Citizens Information Board provided training courses for 1,100 information providers and launched a new Schools Resource Pack Rights and Entitlements for Young People
- A MABS social policy research report, Lifting the Load – Help for People with Mortgage Arrears was launched by the Citizens Information Board.
- Publications produced during the year included the Information for School Leavers leaflet and several information wallcharts. Two new booklets were published: Supports and information for the self-employed and Supports for Farmers.
- Assistireland.ie the online assistive technology database provided by the Citizens Information Board received 322,000 visitors and carried information on 7,000 aids and appliances for people with disabilities
- The Sign Language Interpreting Service (SLIS) is the national agency for the provision of sign language interpreting services in Ireland. It has a fully signed website – slis.ie. and is funded and supported by the Citizens Information Board.
