Established in 1939, the Citizens Advice service continues to help people resolve their money, legal and other problems. Advice is still free, impartial, confidential and provided by trained volunteers. We help people to deal with 5.7 million new problems a year and 95 per cent of the public has heard of us (MORI 2005).
Citizens Advice Bureaux
There are currently 455 member Citizens Advice Bureaux across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Every Citizens Advice Bureau is a registered charity reliant on trained volunteers and funds and belongs to the national association, Citizens Advice, which is also a charity. Bureaux in Scotland belong to a separate organisation,  Citizens Advice Scotland. Bureaux in Northern Ireland belong to Citizens Advice in Northern Ireland.
Citizens Advice
Citizens Advice, the national charity sets standards for the quality of advice, supports bureaux by providing services such as a regularly updated information system and training and also co-ordinates social policy, publicity, parliamentary and media work. Citizens Advice has three area offices throughout England and Citizens Advice Cymru has two offices in Wales.
CAB advice
CAB advice is provided from 3,300 locations. To ensure this is as accessible to as many sectors of the community as possible, our advice is available through Citizens Advice Bureaux, online, by email, by telephone, in many community venues such as GP surgeries and in courts, prisons, schools and leisure centres. The majority of bureaux provide home visits and many also provide email advice. People can access CAB information in a range of languages by visiting bureaux or going online at www.adviceguide.org.uk which includes frequently asked questions in English, Welsh, Bengali, Chinese, Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu and factsheets to download.
CAB volunteers
Citizens Advice Bureaux rely on volunteers to deliver the high quality and impartial advice the organisation is famous for. There are over 20,000 volunteers in a number of roles - including advisers, trustees, social policy campaigners and administrators. Our training is free and support is provided every step of the way. People interested in volunteering for their local CAB can call our volunteer hotline on 08451 264 264 or find out more about volunteering with us at www.citizensadvice.org.uk/join-us
Campaigning for change
Feedback from bureaux about the problems their clients' experience is used in our evidence reports, parliamentary consultations and briefings to MPs and policy makers. By campaigning to change policies and services which aren't working, we can improve the lives of those who may never have used a Citizens Advice Bureau. By making the public aware of issues, we can hopefully prevent people finding themselves in similar situations and therefore needing advice from a CAB in future.
How the service is funded
Citizens Advice and every Citizens Advice Bureau are registered charities, reliant on the support of a wide range of funders including local authorities, companies, charitable trusts and individuals. Local authorities provide nearly half of bureau funding; 21 per cent comes from the Legal Services Commission.
Key facts about the Citizens Advice service in 2006/07
- the service is one of the UK’s largest voluntary organisations
- advice is regularly available from 3,300 locations - including health settings
- bureaux deal with over 5.7 million new problems a year
- the service relies on over 20,000 volunteers
More information
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