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Citizens Advice social policy impact report

Since its inception in 1939, the Citizens Advice service has not only helped people resolve individual problems, but has also campaigned to ensure that these problems are tackled by addressing the root causes. We talk to Government and regulators, and work directly with other provider organisations to make life better for our clients. We estimate that we helped around 6.8 million people through our policy work in 2010/11.

We would not achieve the influence that we do without evidence from bureaux, nor without their participation in campaigning activities. Nearly 90 per cent of bureaux took an active part in campaigning at some level through the year.

This report describes both the policy achievements of Citizens Advice, and key campaigning successes by bureaux, including:

• Persuading the government to drop its proposed 10 per cent cut to housing benefit for people who have been receiving jobseeker’s allowance for over a year.
• A mystery shopping exercise conducted by bureaux on the accuracy of advice given by the HMRC tax credits helpline about the disability element of working tax credit, which led to a commitment from HMRC to improve information and training for its helpline staff.
• A change which allows 14,000 people with money in private or occupational pension schemes to apply for debt relief orders.
• Campaigning by Barnsley, Ynys Mon, West Berkshire and East Herts bureaux – all successful in keeping their local magistrates’ and county courts open.

The Government endorsed our policy record in October 2010 by announcing that it would like to transfer the resources, functions and powers of the consumer body, Consumer Focus, to the Citizens Advice service. This plan is currently out for consultation and – if it goes ahead – is likely to have a significant impact on our work in the future.

Since the last impact report, the Government has announced substantial spending cuts, including ?18 billion to be taken from the welfare benefits budget. This presents a challenge to us to work constructively with Government to manage the impact of public spending cuts so that the most vulnerable people in our society are protected from further hardship as a result of reductions in services, cuts to benefits, rising prices and increases in unemployment.

• Citizens Advice social policy impact report 2011 ( 3.1mb)

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