It is my view that when facing a downturn in the economy, you do everything possible to save welfare rights and advice services for local people. You don’t take away this vital service when it is needed most!

As many of you may be aware, Conservative-run Harlow Council is currently in the process of cutting the budget of the Harlow Welfare Rights and Advice Service, an extremely effective and vital service in the area. It was estimated that the service brought in £2million in welfare entitlements to Harlow residents last year and it is one of the most utilised services Harlow Council supports.

Current plans to reduce funding to the service by as much as 80% amount to nothing more than destruction of this amenity and I am fighting tooth and nail to save it for my constituents.

I feel that services like Welfare Rights and Advice are even more important during times when the economy takes a downturn, as it is vital that people understand what help they are entitled to and how they can access it.

However, Harlow Welfare Rights and Advice is not the only service experiencing funding difficulties. Just after Christmas this year, I paid a visit to the Epping Forest Citizens Advice Bureau, on Hemnall Street in Epping. It was good to meet with the new manager there, and to discuss ways in which the Citizens Advice Bureau and I, as local MP for the area, could join forces to offer people the best advice and assistance.

With total client numbers expected to more than double next year, it is vital that the Epping CAB is able to continue providing an excellent debt advice service. The meeting underlined the need, especially during these difficult economic times, to invest more not less in advice and welfare rights services. I have lobbied Epping Forest District Council for funding of the CAB and I am currently awaiting their response.

I also wanted to let people know that I will, with the CAB, be running a series of joint surgeries in the villages of Roydon, Nazeing and Sheering (the parts of Epping Forest which fall into my constituency) in March / April and I will be publicising the dates of these surgeries shortly.

We are dealing with an international economic crisis and it is vital that people can access the help and support required from Government to ease the way until conditions improve. And I intend to do all I can to support local services and prevent further cuts.