CITIZENS Advice helped nearly 400 people in St Austell in the last year with the top issues including benefits, debt, Universal Credit payments and housing.

The new figures were revealed at a meeting of St Austell Town Council’s community committee.

Citizens Advice communications officer Wailim Wong told the committee that St Austell saw the fourth highest number of people seeking help in the county after Penzance, Camborne and Newquay.

The charity now has a weekly drop-in service in St Austell which runs at the Light and Life Centre in Brunel Business Park every Thursday between 10am and noon.

Mr Wong said: “We are continuing to see a high level of demand for our services across Cornwall and in the St Austell area, and we’re particularly concerned with steadily rising levels of debt and housing issues following the last few years of cost of living rises.”

The charity provides free, confidential, independent advice for everyone. As well as benefits, debt and housing, other areas covered include work, law and courts, family, health, immigration and consumer issues.

Anyone interested in volunteering for Citizens Advice in St Austell can email [email protected] or visit the volunteer section of the Citizens Advice Cornwall website, citizensadvicecornwall.org.uk