Citizens Advice

The Citizens Advice service helps people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free, independent and confidential advice, and by influencing policymakers.

Every Citizens Advice Bureau is a registered charity reliant on trained volunteers and funds to provide these vital services for local communities.

Citizens Advice service strategy 2008 - 2011 cover


About us

The Citizens Advice service helps people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free information and advice, and by influencing policy makers.


Citizens Advice service is 70

Citizens Advice Bureaux started life as an emergency war service. World War II was declared on 3 September 1939 and the first 200 bureaux opened their doors the very next day.


Our principles and aims

The Citizens Advice service provides free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities. It values diversity, promotes equality and challenges discrimination.

  • To provide the advice people need for the problems they face
  • To improve the policies and practices that affect people’s lives


Our structure

There are 416 Citizens Advice Bureaux across England and Wales, and a further 22 bureaux in Northern Ireland, all of which are independent registered charities. They are all members of Citizens Advice, the membership organisation - also an independent registered charity - that provides training and support to member bureaux, and coordinates national policy work. Together they make up the Citizens Advice service.


The difference we make

In the last year alone we helped 1.9 million people to solve 6 million problems. With a Citizens Advice Bureau in the community, everyone has somewhere to turn should the unexpected, the awful or the inexplicable happen. Watch our film to see what a difference this makes to people's lives.


Advice services

We deliver information and advice through face-to-face, telephone and email services, and online via (New window) Adviceguide.org.uk.


Campaigning and policy work

The Citizens Advice service doesn’t just exist to provide advice in times of crisis – we also campaign for changes to policy and practice that benefit millions of people each year by preventing problems arising in the first place.


Volunteering

Of the 27,000 people who work in the service, 21,000 of them are volunteers, all from different backgrounds with different skills. They perform a variety of roles from giving advice to fundraising, IT, administration, publicity, local campaigning and trusteeship.


More about Citizens Advice

Events


Our people