Key facts about the Citizens Advice service

In 2007 - 2008

The Citizens Advice service helps people resolve their money, legal and other problems by providing free advice and information, and by influencing policymakers. The work of the Citizens Advice service impacts on people’s lives in thousands of different ways. The service is:

• one of the UK's largest voluntary organisations. Citizens Advice and all bureaux are registered charities
• made up of a network of Citizens Advice Bureaux. There are 426 members in England, Wales and 22 in Northern Ireland (at 31 March 2008)
• a provider of free, independent and impartial information and advice from over 3,200 locations – helping people resolve over 5.5 million new problems a year
• a respected source of influence on local and national policy
• the largest provider of free money advice in the UK
• an employer and skills training agency with a workforce of over 26,000 people, the majority of these volunteers
• well known by the public. 95 per cent of the public has heard of us. (MORI 2005)

Helping solve problems

Each Citizens Advice Bureau is an independent registered charity and the service is run by a total of 26,000 people (20,000 of these are volunteers).

We ensure that all sectors of the community can access our services wherever they are - we provide advice from 3,200 locations - in bureaux, in people’s homes, in public places, in community venues and by telephone, most bureaux provide home visits and some provide email advice. During 2007/08, advice was regularly available from more locations than ever before including:

• health settings including GP surgeries, health centres and hospitals
• community centres
• legal settings
• and by phone, email, online, kiosks.

During 2007/08 we helped people deal with 5.5 million new problems.

England and Wales

• Benefits1,516,000
• Consumer 286,000 (includes financial services)
• Debt 1,737,000
• Employment 476,000
• Housing 399,000
• Legal 275,000
• Relationships 295,000
• Tax 48,000
• Utilities 95,000 (includes telecoms, TV and internet)
• Other 413,000 (includes immigration and health)

Influencing policymakers

We use CAB clients' evidence to campaign for change

Every year we researched and wrote several evidence reports, detailed responses to consultations and select committees and provided numerous parliamentary briefings for MPs and Assembly Members on a variety of issues. Our social policy influence affects the lives of people who may never have used the services of a Citizens Advice Bureau.

Volunteers

We rely on the contribution of volunteers - our services would not be possible without our 20,000 trained volunteers in many roles:

• over 12,000 are advisers
• over 4,000 are trustees
• over 3,000 are in bureau support roles including administrators, social policy co-ordinators, IT support and fundraisers.

Nearly a third of all volunteers who leave us go on to paid employment or full time education.

Citizens Advice (the national charity) helps Citizens Advice Bureaux to recruit new volunteers by promoting and running a 24 hour volunteer recruitment hotline on 08451 264 264 and online at www.citizensadvice.org.uk/join-us.

Access to advice

We provide CAB information on-line in several languages -our public information and advice website www.adviceguide.org.uk , is available in both English and Welsh, had 7.3 million visits in 2007/08 and includes a frequently asked questions section in Bengali, Chinese, Gujarati, Punjabi, and Urdu.

Funding

Citizens Advice income in 2007/08 totalled £45.683 million and the estimated total of Citizens Advice Bureau income was £148 million.

More information about us

• Citizens Advice service strategy 2008-2011

• CAB information and advice website: www.adviceguide.org.uk

• Volunteer hotline: 08451 264 264