The number of people seeking help and advice in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly for problems ranging from debt to benefits and pensions to housing has risen by 19% to 19,000 between 2014-15 and 2015-16.

The latest statistics are contained in Citizens Advice Cornwall’s annual report, published this week, which claims that for every £1 invested in the organisation, £12.92 was returned in public value. The main issues that people sought advice for were debt (36%), benefits and tax credits (30%), financial services (6%), housing (5%) and employment (5%).

The large rise in demand for the charity’s services has been accompanied by an increase in the number of volunteer advisors, to 160, working in offices and outreach centres from St Mary’s on the Isles of Scilly to Torpoint and Bude.

Citizens Advice Cornwall chief executive Neil Colquhoun said: ’Increasing pressures on household finances, inefficiencies in the benefits system, employment issues and well-documented difficulties in the rental and housing market show the valuable services provided by Citizens Advice are needed in our area more than ever before.

’However, continued financial support from our funders, such as Cornwall Council, the Government’s Money Advice Service, Comic Relief and the Macmillan cancer charity, has helped us deliver an excellent set of results, with 90% of the people we see happy or very happy with the information they receive and 95% saying they would recommend Citizens Advice to others.’

Citizens Advice Cornwall operates offices in Truro, Falmouth, St Austell, Bodmin, Liskeard, Saltash, Camborne, Newquay, Penzance and Bude with outreach offices in Camelford, Hayle, St Columb Major, St Ives, Torpoint and St Mary’s on the Isles of Scilly.