Published today by Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS), the Impact Report revealed that the service also put a total of £120 million into the pockets of Scottish citizens, though improving their financial health by helping them to access benefits entitlements and manage debt effectively. This helped some to avoid crisis situations like poverty, debt and homelessness.

Other figures revealed in the report include that for every £1 of core funding received, the network returned £11 of value to local communities, while 99 per cent of Scottish citizens say they regard the Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) network as an essential community service.

A total of 71 per cent of people who work in the local CABs are volunteers who each receive six months of training which helps them develop new skills. Around 42 per cent have went on to further education or employment.

CAS acting chief executive, Anne Lavery said: “Citizens Advice Scotland is proud to present this impact report on behalf of the Scottish Citizens Advice service, which is made up of 61 independent, local Citizens Advice Bureaux, specialist phonelines, and a public advice website, along with the national umbrella body, CAS. We are very proud of the work of the service, and of the fact that our advice is completely free, impartial and confidential. Our service has a huge positive impact, not just on the individual people we help but also on their families and on the wider community.

“We can only achieve this through the hard work and dedication of the 3,400 skilled staff and volunteers who provide advice to those who come to the service for help: many of whom are facing challenging circumstances due to strains on employment, finances and the everyday cost of living.

“But in addition to the individuals we help, we are also very proud of the wider impact we have. By analysing our case evidence at a national level, we have a powerful database of information on societal issues. We provide this information to governments and decision makers to help them improve services and policies for the better.”