Citizens Advice Hartlepool restarts face to face meetings from Monday, April 12 in line with road map out of lockdown

Citizens Advice Hartlepool is recommencing its drop in sessions at its offices in Park Road from Monday, April 12.

The walk in service has been interrupted since the first nationwide lockdown last March and suspended the drop in facility in January of this year.

In the meantime officers have helping people over the phone, by email while allowing a small number of appointments for the people including the elderly and those with mental health or learning difficulties.

But people with any problems will be able to speak to an officer in person again when the service resumes four days a week next week.

It coincides with a big promotion push of its services across the town.

Citizens Advice Hartlepool manager, Joe Michna, said: “There is clearly a big demand still for face-to-face advice and we are looking forward to offering our drop-in sessions from the 12th April.

"During recent months we have been focusing our resources on providing telephone and email advice services as well as providing a limited number of face-to-face appointments when this has been necessary.

“We are also having a publicity and promotional campaign throughout the town. We recently delivered 10,000 information leaflets in the TS25 area of the town and we are distributing a further 10,000 shortly in the TS26 area.

"The aim is to raise our profile and let people know we are still here and still available.

“And it is important that local residents are aware of how to contact us and also our hours of availability.”

The drop in sessions will be available on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday between 9.30am and 12.30pm.

Subject to no major changes in government guidelines the busy office hopes to go back to its previous drop in times of 9.30am to 3pm Monday to Friday, except Tuesdays, from Monday, May 10.

Citizens Advice Hartlepool offers advice on issues such as benefits, housing, employment rights, consumer law, debt and more.

For more information call (01429) 408401 or email: enquiries@hartlepool.cabnet.org.uk

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