PEOPLE in Yate looking for advice about money, debt or council services are advised by South Gloucestershire Council to attend their town’s One Stop Shop.

Located on Kennedy Way, Yate’s One Stop Shop provides free and independent advice on issues such as debt, benefits and housing.

This is a result of a partnership between South Gloucestershire Council and Talking Money - a charity that provides free independent money advice.

Areas that the charity can help with include: debt, maximising income, bill payments, budgeting and energy advice.

Councillor John Goddard, Chair of South Gloucestershire’s Resources Sub-Committee, explained that the staff at One Stop Shops help tens of thousands of people every year.

He said: “The dedicated staff at our One Stop Shops are experts on what we do to support people to live and work in South Gloucestershire.

He added: “By working with Talking Money and training our staff, we are able to refer the people who need it to more expert advice and it is clear that the help and support they offer can make a huge impact on people’s lives.”

Staff at One Stop Shops are trained to identify individuals who could benefit from additional specialist help from Talking Money.

Previously issued advice has helped increase income for some customers to nearly £10,000, and has helped these customers to manage debt totaling almost £1million.

Tamra Mannin, Services Manager at Talking Money, said, “We are pleased to be able to provide a much needed money advice service to South Gloucestershire residents. 

"This service helps the most vulnerable citizens maximise their incomes and manage priority payments such as rent, council tax and utilities, keeping people in their homes and building financial resilience and stability in families and communities.”

For more information about One Stop drop-in sessions visit the South Gloucestershire Council website here.