Citizens Advice Honiton is providing dedicated help for former Flybe employees who have been affected by the collapse of the business.

Staff who have decided they need benefits can now access Citizens Advice's 'Help to Claim' service.

Citizens Advice's advisers are on standby to help people make their first Universal Credit claim.

This may include assistance with the online application form, preparing for a work coach appointment and checking if your first payment is correct.

Help is available face to face, over the phone and online through webchat and our website.

Flybe employees can phone 0800 144 8 444 from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Chief Officer of Citizens Advice East Devon, Tim Bridger, said: "We have many former Flybe employees in our community and we are here to help them with free, independent advice.

"We've put dedicated resources in place to ensure we can help anyone who needs assistance.

"This includes helping anyone who needs to make their first Universal Credit claim through our Help to Claim service."

Senior Employment Expert at Citizens Advice Tracey Moss said: "This will be a very anxious time for Flybe staff.

"We advise them to check with the administrator and their union about whether they should go to work.

"The uncertainty in situations like this can be very frustrating. It can help to "get your ducks in a row" as they say: find out all the information you can, gather any financial evidence you may need to claim benefits and inform your mortgage company."

Citizens Advice offices in the region are also seeing an upturn in the number of customers seeking advice with the collapse of Flybe.

Senior Consumer Expert at Citizens Advice Jan Carton said: "Flybe customers who bought tickets directly from the company won't be protected by the ATOL scheme.

"However, if you went through a travel agent or other third party you may be covered. Some people may be able to get their money back if they paid by credit card.

"If people have accommodation booked they should check the terms and conditions to see if they can get a refund. If they can afford to pay for another flight, it's also worth checking if they can alter the dates.

"Unfortunately we've found that in these situations scammers quickly jump on the bandwagon.

"If you're a Flybe customer and you're contacted by someone offering to act for you to recover your money it's more than likely to be a scam."

"You can find advice on how to spot a scam on our website."