Commending East Dunbartonshire Citizens Advice Bureau

That the Parliament commends the outstanding service of the staff and volunteers of the East Dunbartonshire Citizens Advice Bureau; pays tribute to the Bureau Manager, Catherine Bradley, for her strong leadership and impactful service to the constituents of Strathkelvin and Bearsden; acknowledges the significant increase in demand for support locally during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in requesting assistance with debt management; recognises the commitment of the team in extending the service’s opening hours to include four evenings per week; welcomes the substantial benefit of the newly-appointed, dedicated team member to focus on mental wellbeing and enhancing existing partnership working; expresses concern that the reduction in Universal Credit payments may severely impact low-income families across Scotland; understands that around a third of households in receipt of Universal Credit in Scotland will experience an income reduction of 20%; expresses dismay that this impact may be felt by many of those already struggling to meet increased living costs such as increasing utility bills and basic food shopping costs; considers that the anti-poverty measures introduced by the Scottish Government in recent years are limited to those powers devolved from the UK Parliament, and is very grateful for the dedication of all the community-based organisations across Scotland that are providing support for constituents during this challenging time.