Lucy McTernan: CAB evidence should be seen by all policy-makers

Our advisers are worried, not just about the effect these cuts will have on the vulnerable, but on the impact this in turn will have on the CAB service itself, and on its ever-increasing workload. The spirit of our service remains strong however. After all, the people directly affected by the cuts will need support more than ever. And we are determined to provide it.

According to the survey, CAB staff fear that the greatest threat to vulnerable Scots this year will be the continuing upheavals in the benefits system. Many are convinced that the government is focused only on rigid targets, and sees the sick or disabled as numbers, not real people with problems who need help.

And as the benefits system fails people, so personal debt continues to rise. Falling incomes and rising prices will force more and more people to seek alternative sources of income – such as loans and credit cards. But high re-payment rates are a further blow to those least able to cope. And debt can be a vicious, self-perpetuating trap.

Most CAB staff believe that banks, meanwhile, are doing little to help those who are struggling. "Unwilling'" "aggressive", "inflexible" and "judgmental'"are some of the words used in our survey where banks are mentioned – words which will no doubt strike a chord with anyone who has tried to negotiate with their bank over an overdraft or fees.

CAB staff work day-in, day-out to provide free, impartial and confidential advice to those who need help. They deal with the real problems of real people across the country. As such, they represent a unique resource of direct knowledge – holding up a mirror to the true picture of economic and social life of Scotland. The messages are clear. They may not be welcome, but government and policy-makers will ignore them at their peril.

• Lucy McTernan is chief executive of Citizens Advice Scotland