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Key facts about the Citizens Advice service

What does the Citizens Advice service do?

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

How is the Citizens Advice service structured?

• There are 394 Citizens Advice Bureaux (CAB) across England and Wales (as of 31 March 2010). All of them are registered charities.
• Citizens Advice is also a registered charity, as well as being the membership organisation for bureaux. It sets standards for the quality of advice and provides training, information systems and support to bureaux.
• Together we make up the Citizens Advice service.

How and where do CAB make advice available?

• The advice and information provided by bureaux is free, independent, confidential and impartial.
• We provide advice through face-to-face, telephone and email services, and online via our self help website www.adviceguide.org.uk
• Adviceguide received 10.6 million visits during 2009/10 and includes FAQs in Welsh, Bengali, Chinese, Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu.
• Face-to-face advice is available from over 3,500 locations including high streets, doctors' surgeries, courts and prisons.
• CAB advisers can write letters and make phone calls to service providers on their clients' behalf. They can help people prioritise debts and negotiate with creditors. They can also refer clients to specialist case workers, who are able to represent people at court and tribunals.

What subject areas do CAB advise on?

• As the UK’s largest advice provider we are equipped to deal with any issue, from anyone, spanning debt and employment to housing and immigration plus everything in between.
• During 2009/10 bureaux advised clients on 7.1 million new problems.
• These included 2.4 million debt problems, 2 million problems with benefits and tax credits, and 0.6 million employment problems.

How does the Citizens Advice service influence policymakers?

• Every client that comes into a bureau with a problem is a first hand example of policies or practices going wrong.
• We use our clients’ stories anonymously to campaign for improvements to these policies and practices.
• This involves publishing evidence reports, responding to consultations, giving evidence to select committees and providing parliamentary briefings for MPs and Welsh Assembly Members.
• By campaigning for change we improve the lives of everyone, including those who have never used a CAB.

Who works for CAB?

• 28,500 people work across the Citizens Advice service; 7,000 paid staff and 21,500 volunteers.
• Volunteers perform all sorts of roles from advising, to administration, IT support, press relations and trusteeship.
• Our volunteers give over £106 million worth of hours a year between them.
• CAB volunteers benefit from free training, ongoing support and expenses.
• Nearly a third of volunteers who leave us go on into paid employment or full time education.
• If you are interested in volunteering see our volunteering section

Who are CAB for?

• During 2009/10 Citizens Advice Bureaux helped over 2 million people.
• Nearly half the population has used our service at some point in their lives and 97 per cent know who we are (BMRB, 2009).
• Citizens Advice Bureaux are here to help everyone, whoever you are and whatever the problem.

How is the Citizens Advice service funded?

• The income of Citizens Advice Bureaux totalled £179 million in 2009/10.
• Bureaux receive money from local authorities, the Legal Services Commission, Lottery funds, primary care trusts, charitable trusts, companies and individuals.
• The income of Citizens Advice totalled £62 million in 2009/10.
• Citizens Advice is largely funded through government grants.

How did CAB come to exist?

• Citizens Advice Bureaux have extraordinary origins as an emergency war service. War was declared on 3 September 1939 and the very next day 200 bureaux opened their doors.

Three great reasons for CAB to exist

• They make people happier and healthier: forty six per cent of people felt less anxious, less stressed, or had fewer health problems after receiving help from a CAB (MORI, 2005).
• They take the strain off other local services in many ways, for example by preventing homelessness, avoiding legal action and helping people to fill in official forms correctly.
• They contribute to the local economy by helping clients to manage their debts and maximise their incomes.

Get involved

• Donate now
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• Volunteer with us
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