MONMOUTHSHIRE County Citizens Advice (MCCA) are facing a “difficult future” amidst continued cuts to the service, its chairman has said.

According to the MCCA yearly report, bureaus in Caldicot, Chepstow, Monmouth and Abergavenny faced an increased demand for their services despite operating in continual deficit budgets.

For the year 2016/17 calls for advice on benefits accounted for 40 per cent of total clients – up from 36 per cent in 2015/16.

Debt advice rose from 15 per cent of to 19 per cent in the same period. The other two main areas for advice were employment and housing.

In the report, chairman Brian Counsell wrote that the “unending support of volunteers, staff and our funders has been critical in delivering a first class service in the face of increasing demand against diminishing resources”.

He said: “Our main funding streams continue to come from the Welsh Government (via Citizens Advice), Monmouthshire County Council, town and community councils and our friends group.

“However, continuing austerity policies of the UK Government inevitably means that public spending cuts continue to filter down to organisations like ourselves. This poses an enormous challenge to a small organisation such as Monmouthshire County Citizens Advice.”

The Caldicot, Chepstow and Abergavenny branches merged in January 2014, with the independent Monmouth bureau being integrated in July 2015 after facing closure.

The MCCA's entered into a three-year contract with the county council to provide services until March 2017, which included 10 per cent cut year-on-year to its funding.

This was extended until March 2018, with a further four per cent cut added.

Shirley Lightbound, who has been chief officer since the merger, is hoping for a positive outcome when the contract ends.

“The council are being relatively receptive to what we’re asking for, and we realise that they have had cuts themselves,” she said.

“I’m hopeful in the next contract that we get less cuts as we worked really hard to bring expenditure down across four very diverse offices.”

MCCA has a paid staff of nine, with the service’s case worker the only full-time member.

Mrs Lightbound says the MCCA is the smallest service in Wales, despite it covering the largest county in the Gwent region.

“People are often told that Monmouthshire is wealthy but there are levels of deprivation that need our services,” she said.

“We can expand if we had the funding to do so but currently it’s hard, and it’s going to be more difficult in the future.”

Monmouthshire County Council says it recognises the “valuable and vital role” that MCCA plays in the county.

“The council has worked closely with the MCCA in limiting the reduction in funding that has been brought about by the council’s own financial challenges,” a spokesman said.

“The council is currently proposing an extension to the existing agreement, which ends on March 31 2018, and that will provide further security and clarity around funding reductions over the medium term.

“Furthermore, the council is looking to provide wider support and assistance to ensure that the CAB maintains the quality of advice and support to Monmouthshire communities.”