THE boss of Bolton’s Citizens Advice Bureau has said that calls to their service have nearly doubled since the latest lockdown was announced.

The team has been inundated with calls from people needing legal advice and assistance, especially regarding work and childcare.

Richard Wilkinson, CEO of Citizens Advice Bury and Bolton, said that the service generally receives around 60 calls a day, but follow Boris Johnson’s announcement of a new lockdown, it has regularly been pushing 100.

On Tuesday, they received 105 calls, with 95 on Wednesday and 89 on Thursday.

The Citizens Advice website also showed a clear spike in traffic following the Prime Minister’s briefing.

Mr Wilkinson said: “On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, our calls had basically doubled and it was very clearly on the back of the press briefing. Many people were in a state of panic.

“The upsurge in demand has meant we are struggling to get advice to all the people that need it. This problem has been accentuated as many CAB staff, despite being classed as key workers, have not been able to get places at school for their young children in order to be able to do the work.

“In terms of our staff, I have had to get in touch with schools to try and get their child a place, because many places need evidence that you are a key worker. I have had to explain what the staff are doing and what they are helping people with during the pandemic.”

Richard cited one woman who rang and had suddenly found herself without childcare on Tuesday as her five year old child’s school was closed.

Her boss at the care home where she worked demanded that she go in to work or risk being fired. The boss said that their firm “didn’t use the furlough scheme” and needed her in work.

She was told that she would have a very strong employment tribunal case if her boss took any action and Mr Wilkinson said that she had managed to change her hours.

However, the advice bureau is still taking dozens of similar calls each day.

Citizens advice offers independent advice and with staff that are experts in money advice, employment law, housing and benefits, they are uniquely placed to help people with the social welfare problems created by the pandemic.

The citizen’s advice bureau can be found on the freephone advice line 0808 278 7804, or by visiting cabb.org.uk.