It is not yet known how the cash – announced in Alistair Darling's pre-budget report – will be shared and to which areas of the country it will be delivered.

However,Wyre bureau chiefs are hoping they will fit the criteria to be able to make a bid.

The cash would certainly ease the financial pressure which the Cleveleysbased branch is currently under.

The branch has previously admitted it could face closure if Wyre Council, which has funded the running costs for five years, goes ahead with proposed cash cuts.

The £100,000 grant has been reduced to £80,000 in 2009/10 and could fall by a further £20,000 in each of the next three years before eventually being phased out in April 2013.

But at a meeting of the cabinet committee, councillors held fire on a decision on the 2010 to 2012 funding until after a meeting is held by the Wyre Strategic Partnership in January.

The Government is providing a further £5m to help fund extended opening hours at Citizens Advice Bureaux next year.

Karen Evans, Cleveleys branch manager (inset), said: "The national Citizens Advice are doing the fine tuning but we don't yet know which areas the money could go to or if we would fit the criteria.

"It'd only be short-term money but if it is away forward then we will put a bid in. We're hoping to know how we can apply for it by the end of next week.

"The money announced in the pre-budget report would help us in the next financial year but not the following year if we are cut another £20,000. It's that lack of stability."

When announcing the national funding, Consumer Minister Kevin Brennan, said the £5m will help fund extended opening hours.

He said: "This will help an extra 300,000 people and is a major boost for hard pressed consumers in need of advice.

David Harker, chief executive of CAB, said: "The £5m of new funding will allow the Additional Hours of Advice project to be extended into the new financial year and will enable us to help significantly more people."