It was good to catch up with Alison Mein and the team at the Citizens Advice Elmbridge (West) offices in Walton on Friday. They have all been doing an amazing job during the pandemic, helping residents with almost 3,000 issues over the past six months.

I heard about the team’s ongoing support for the elderly population in Elmbridge, as well as their plans to develop a bespoke service for 16-24 year olds. This will make their presence even more valuable to the local community.

We covered measures that the government introduced to support private renters during the pandemic (first a total ban on evictions for six months, and now notice periods of six months), as well as the options for homeowners with mortgages who are facing difficulties. Since my visit, and following the announcement of new national restrictions to drive down the level of Coronavirus, the availability of mortgage repayment holidays has been extended.

I also had a chance to talk to the domestic abuse team, which has seen an increase in referrals from residents over the past six months. The team does an invaluable job, providing support via phone and video calls to people in incredibly difficult and dangerous situations.

Finally, I had the opportunity to thank (via Zoom) some of the volunteers who have got used to working from home in recent months. These volunteers, and everyone working in Citizens Advice branches, are on the front line locally. I am grateful to them for all they do and will continue to support them over the coming weeks and months.