Insurance giants Aviva have pledged 9 million pounds of support for workers struggling with the cost of living crisis.
7 million will be paid to Citizens Advice (CA), while the remaining cash will go to the Money Advice Trust’s Business Debtline Service. Both charities have seen a surge in uptake of their services, as people struggle with rising energy prices and spiking interest rates.
The money, which will be paid over the next couple of years, will be used to fund the recruitment and training of 50 new CA advisors, as well as improve the organisation’s ability to provide advice and guidance via its website.
At the same time, the Money Advice Trust plans to increase the Debtline capacity to take on an additional 25,000 calls and appointments.
The CEO of the Money Advice Trust, Joanna Elson, said: ‘The cost of living crisis is having a double impact on small business owners – hitting both their personal and business finances. With millions of people worrying about the cost of living every day, it has never been more important to ensure small businesses get the advice and support they need. The Money Advice Trust’s partnership with Aviva will help this critical part of the UK economy to look forward with confidence.’
The Workers Union Says…
The Workers Union has consistently asked corporate Britain to do more to help workers deal with rising costs and uncertainty. In June we suggested that political decisions can only offer a partial resolution: companies that can, really must step up and deliver more than conciliatory words and vague promises of action.
On that basis, we are pleased to see that Aviva have taken the decision to partner with Citizens Advice and the Money Advice Trust. It is an example of corporate social responsibility taken seriously and a pathfinder for other companies.
But we must not assume that this will signal a conversion to altruism. There are still stockpiles of money sloshing around that senior executives across all sectors of the UK economy could use to leaven the burden on workers. It is long past time that they considered doing so.
