Mabs sees 70% rise in demand

Demand for the services of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (Mabs) from people in financial difficulties has risen over 70% since the recession started.

However, new figures show there has only been a 13% increase in staff working with Mabs to cater for the huge rise in numbers of people in debt seeking help.

The number of people availing of Mabs services jumped to 26,162 in 2012 compared to 15,377 in 2007 — an increase of 70%.

However, the number of Mabs staff rose by just 26 over the same period to 214 to meet the extra demand.

Figures supplied by the Department of Social Protection show the numbers using Mabs have continued to increase this year with 13,256 in contact with the service in the first six months of 2013.

The busiest Mabs centre is in Cork, which assisted 1,328 clients in 2012 — a 33% rise since the start of the recession — and 7,323 in the first six months of 2013. Other centres include Waterford (1,115), Kildare (1,028), Galway South (955), and Bray (800).

Demand for Mabs services has more than doubled in 21 centres since the start of the recession with numbers seeking help in Longford almost quadrupling — from 109 in 2007 to 526. However, Mabs has only received one additional part-time worker to assist its existing two staff at the Longford centre to cater for the increased demand.