CAB advice
Advice that makes the difference
The Citizens Advice service has been helping people to resolve their legal, money and other problems since 1939.
- It is the largest advice-giving network in the UK, regularly providing advice from 3,500 locations.
- During 2009/10 we helped 2.1 million people deal with over 7 million new problems, in bureaux, by phone and email, at outreach sessions in places like GP surgeries, in courts and even in people’s homes.
- CAB advice is free, independent, confidential and impartial, and is provided by trained volunteers.
- The CAB service is known by 97 per cent of the public (BMRB 2009).
- The advice we give to clients is the first in the advice sector to be audited for quality.
- CAB advice is available to everyone regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, age or nationality.
- Every CAB is a registered charity reliant on trained volunteers and funds to continue providing this vital service to local communities.
The principles of CAB advice
Independent – we will always act in the interests of our clients, without influence from any outside bodies.
Impartial – we don’t judge our clients or make assumptions about them. Our service is open to everyone, and we treat everyone equally.
Confidential – we won’t pass on anything a client tells us – or even the fact that they’ve visited us – without their permission.
Free – no-one has to pay for any part of the service we provide.
Top five CAB client problems in 2009/10 (England and Wales)
- Debt (2,374,000)
- Benefits and tax credits (2,074,000)
- Employment (586,000)
- Housing (468,000)
- Relationships and family (333,000)
How CAB advisers can help
There are a number of different ways that CAB advisers can help people to resolve a problem. Advisers don’t tell clients what to do, but explain their options and the possible outcomes of different courses of action. Clients are encouraged to make their own decisions and act on their own behalf. We enable clients to manage their own problems by focusing on their needs as individuals.
CAB advisers, most of whom are trained volunteers can:
- interview clients face-to-face and by phone to find out what the problem(s) are
- access our regularly updated electronic information database for up to the minute information
- help clients to negotiate with companies or service providers such as creditors or to appeal against decisions, for example, welfare benefit claims
- write letters or phone companies and service providers on behalf of clients
- help clients to prioritise their problems, for example, to sort out which debts are most important
- help clients with form filling, for example, to claim for welfare benefits
- represent clients in court and at tribunals
- refer clients to CAB specialist caseworkers for complex problems or to other agencies when appropriate.
Where advice is provided
- CAB advice is provided from 3,500 locations through Citizens Advice Bureau, online, by email, by telephone, in community venues such as GP surgeries and in courts, prisons, schools and leisure centres.
- The majority of bureaux provide home visits.
- Some bureaux provide email advice.
- Last year there were 10.6 miliion visits to our public information and advice website,
www.adviceguide.org.uk,.which includes frequently asked questions (FAQs) in English, Welsh, Bengali, Chinese, Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu as well as factsheets to download.
More information
For more about the Citizens Advice service see about us
For information about volunteering see our volunteering section
For information and advice online see www.adviceguide.org.uk
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