The future of Harlow Welfare Advice Centre has been a vexed issue in recent weeks and unfortunately some have used the difficult situation to try and exploit it politically.
I have received a number of letters and emails on this issue and I am glad that as of tonight it looks like Harlow Welfare Advice Centre and the Council have reached an Accommodation. From what I have been told by Council Leader Andrew Johnson, it is good news for the Citizens Advice Bureau too.
Despite the dire financial situation of Harlow Council, millions in debt by the previous Labour- and Liberal Administration, despite Harlow Council not getting its fair share of Government grants and losing £13 million of rent money to Gordon Brown each year, it was always important that vulnerable people in Harlow did not suffer.
For this reason, I am delighted that Harlow Welfare Advice centre will remain open and that an agreement has been reached with the Council as to funding.
It is also good news that the excellent Citizens Advice Bureau will get increased support and a grant of £50k a year.
I hope that the politics will now be taken out of this issue, so that the Welfare service can get on doing what it does best - helping the vulnerable in Harlow.
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