Financial Fitness Secures £6 Million in Unclaimed Welfare Benefits for Inverclyde Residents

That the Parliament commends Financial Fitness, which is a charity that aims to tackle poverty in Inverclyde, on securing £6 million in unclaimed welfare benefits for the area’s most vulnerable people in the last year; recognises that the charity, which was set up 20 years ago, has now won the backing of the UK’s leading money saving expert, Martin Lewis, who has praised its "incredible achievements"; understands that the eight-strong team take on around 2,000 new clients every year and warn that demand for their services is set to increase due to further welfare reform; appreciates that during the year, advisers secured £1 million in employment support allowance, as well as personal independence payments worth £1.7 million, and people on Universal Credit were £550,000 better off thanks to the charity; notes that 65% of people using the service come from the poorest areas in Inverclyde; acknowledges that the charity also runs outreach services in the Carers’ Centre, Oak Tree Housing and the Community Development Trust, offering a money advice service, and that over the year the advice service has helped write off £163,000 worth of debts and secured £850,474 worth of pension payments; believes that charities such as Financial Fitness make a huge difference to the lives of people in need, and thanks the charity’s staff for their hard work to help the people of Inverclyde.