Citizens Advice Guernsey has reported that demand for its services is climbing faster than a rent check in July, with increasingly complex cases fueled by housing shortages and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
According to its annual report, the advice service supported 3,043 clients in 2025, tackling nearly 5,700 separate issues - up from 2,991 clients in 2024. The average time spent per client inched up from 51 to 54 minutes, which the charity calculated as roughly 150 extra hours of adviser time overall. The report noted that this increase “highlights the increasing complexity of client needs and the growing demand on our adviser resources.”
To keep the operation running in 2025, more than 10,000 volunteer hours were required. Housing was the single biggest driver, accounting for over 1,000 cases and affecting 474 clients. The charity described rental housing as a “particularly difficult” area, alongside a “chronic shortage of social housing.”
Employment issues ranked second among concerns, followed by legal and family matters. However, the data suggests housing was often the root cause, frequently linked to financial stress or relationship troubles. As the report dryly observed, “Divorce and separation often add to the housing shortage, because the separated couple need two homes.”
The charity also warned that demand is likely to keep rising as financial pressures grow, noting, “It is anticipated that with the continuing cost-of-living crisis, this is going to impact further on those who are already struggling, as well as those who have just managed to survive thus far.”