Falkirk area money advice services under threat despite success

Macmillan Money Matters is partly funded by Falkirk Council and members of its Scrutiny Committee heard that for every £1 of grant funding invested in the project, over £68 was returned in financial gains for local people affected by cancer.

The service had a target of supporting 400 people affected by cancer in the Forth Valley area but in 2025/2026, it smashed that target by helping 628 people.

Members heard that Falkirk Council provides £38,000 towards the service, which is just ten per cent of the total funding required.

Stirling Council, which employs the staff, spends £203,332 on the service, with Macmillan Cancer Support providing £84,121 and NHS Forth Valley £32,000.

However, more than half of those who are helped (54.8 per cent) come from the Falkirk Council area and 55.2 per cent of the £2.6 million total was secured for these clients.

Members heard that the Macmillan charity is set to withdraw its funding over the next three years as it had always been intended to help the service get established.

The report noted that there are no proposals to change the council funding at the moment, but it stressed that any reduction in service would be challenging.

In particular, it would be difficult as referrals are expected to increase due to work to ‘improve the cancer journey’, which offers a single, coordinated service that combines clinical treatment as well as non-clinical support for people affected by cancer.

The scrutiny committee also heard that another specialist money advice service was providing a unique service, this time tailored to people who have served in the Armed Forces.

The service, provided through the Citizens Advice Bureau in Denny, helped 198 veterans last year, along with their dependents and carers, by advising them on benefits that are available to former service personnel and signposting them to support with issues such as employment, housing and health.

The Scrutiny Committee heard that Falkirk Council gives the specialist service £18,000 a year to run.

However, the British Legion has now withdrawn its funding for the service, leaving them searching for ways to continue operating.

Members heard that Denny CAB is continuing to seek alternative funding for the service as they say that the demand is still there.

Falkirk Council also continues to support the three Citizens Advice Bureaux in the area, providing £327,664 a year in funding.

The scrutiny report showed that between them the three bureaux responded to 27,975 customer contacts between April 2025 to March 2026, dealing with 38,786 issues, with their clients gaining £5,520,195 as a result.

Members agreed that the advice services were all offering good value for money and were an important part of the council’s commitment to tackle poverty in the local area.

Provost Robert Bissett, convener of Scrutiny, said: “I think it is vitally important that we continue to support these projects.

“In total there is £413,000 goes to these projects and I think the number of people we’ve helped is quite remarkable, so long may it continue.”