CITIZENS Advice Bureaux are working with the Samaritans in a bid to spot people who are suicidal as a result of cuts to benefits.
In some cases volunteer advisers are getting counselling themselves as a result of the stress of the role, which includes hearing upsetting stories from people on the brink of destitution.
Giving evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Welfare Reform Committee, Citizens Advice Scotland chief executive Margaret Lynch revealed the partnership with the suicide support charity.
“Our volunteers get suicide awareness training,” she said. “It is a necessary and responsible thing to do. How is it possible in the 21st century in an advanced capitalist society that’s one of the richest nations that we are having to give our volunteers suicide awareness training because the welfare state is being ripped asunder?”
Reporting on the workload of volunteers, Lynch said they are: “Already feeling stressed and working at capacity, it’s not uncommon for volunteers to be very distressed and crying after dealing with clients on the verge of destitution.
“We are now having to look at supporting volunteers and staff through what can be a stressful and distressing working day.”
Lynch gave evidence on the same day that MSPs on the committee discovered that the UK Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Iain Duncan Smith is set to speak on welfare reform at a £350 a head conference in Scotland despite twice refusing to appear in front of the Scottish Parliament committee.
Convener of the Welfare Reform Committee Labour’s Michael McMahon MSP said: “People should not have to pay to hear the views of the UK minister on such an important matter.
“His continued refusal to give public evidence to our Committee now seems all the more disrespectful. For the third time, we urge Mr Duncan Smith to reconsider his decision, and to come and put on record the answers to the many questions we have. He owes this not just to us as Parliamentarians but, more importantly, to the most vulnerable people in Scotland and those who are working tirelessly to support them.”
A Department for Work and Pensions spokeswomen said Mr Duncan Smith said: “We are clearly engaging with the Scottish Government and have provided extensive support to help them understand the very necessary reform of the welfare state.”
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