A 63% increase in the number of people seeking cost of living advice from East Cambridgeshire District Council has prompted it to tailor the advice it offers residents.

The Council opened its doors at The Grange in Ely in January 2022 to offer residents a one-stop shop when it comes to accessing free and impartial housing and community advice.

Since then the friendly team has been able to assist with 3333 enquiries from people seeking help with benefits, housing, cost of living advice, reducing food waste and information on how to save energy. In the four months between January and April the number of people accessing the service increased 63 per cent on the same period the previous year.

Cllr Anna Bailey, Leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “Since the start of the year we have dealt with an unprecedented number of queries. The most important thing I would say to people is, if you need help please do ask. There is lots of support and options out there – the great thing about the service we offer is we have all of that information to hand, with many of our clients saving themselves money or being able to access new benefits or grants after just one visit.”

To reflect this increasing demand the Council is ensuring more staff are available to deal with enquiries at The Grange.

To support this, the Council’s community bus will continue to visit Soham and Littleport on a weekly basis where demand has been at its highest and make regular appearances at Ely Markets and at local events.

Anyone who is not able to visit The Grange or meet the bus in Littleport or Soham will be offered a personal home visit by a member of the team.

This more personalised service will replace the bus’s weekly tour of the district where only limited numbers of people outside of Littleport and Soham visited the bus.

Anna added: “The most important thing is that we are able to continue to offer advice to all residents who so desperately need help during the cost of living crisis. This tailored approach will enable us to consolidate resources where they are most in demand, without excluding anyone who needs help.”

The council’s website also contains up-to-date information on how to access help and support.