BOSSES at Citizens Advice Waverley have expressed its severe disappointment that Farnham Town Council has cut its grant for the Farnham Bureau.

Despite providing evidence on its increased workload the council has gone ahead and decided to slash 20 per cent from its grant,which means the Bureau will now receive about £6,000 less next year than it did in this financial year.

The cut comes in the face of the knowledge that during the first six months of the year (April to October) CA Waverley has seen more than twice as many people facing redundancy and more than one third more clients with mortgage arrears and arrears in other unsecured loans than in the same period the previous year.

And in the light of the credit crunch these figures are predicted to increase.

The existing support for the volunteer adviser team is already at a minimum and CA Waverley say this decrease will threaten the quality of the service it can provide to its clients- a risk they believe cannot be taken at this crucial time.

Because its front-line services are provided by volunteers, CA Waverley estimates that their services cost less than £50 for each individual needing support from the community.

The current grant from Farnham Town Council is already supplemented by contributions from community groups and individuals. While CA Waverley is endeavouring, through Farnham Friends other fundraising activities, to increase this supplementary income so that it can maintain its current levels of service, this is likely to be that much more difficult to achieve over the next two to three years.

Chairman Norma Corkish said: "We have very much appreciated Farnham Town Council's past financial support and have seen it as a recognition of the needs of the people of Farnham. However, this present action would suggest that our councillors do not fully appreciate that Farnham CAB is the only place in the town that many people have to turn to in these difficult times for free, impartial and confidential support, information and advocacy.

"It has been suggested that if we experience hardship there may be an opportunity to receive additional funds. Short of a miracle this will be the case and it will be the people of Farnham who will suffer as we fail to maintain our existing service."