The Citizens Advice service helps people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free, independent and confidential advice, and by influencing policymakers.
Every Citizens Advice Bureau is a registered charity reliant on trained volunteers and funds to provide these vital services for local communities.
New service sees most enquiries on budgeting and making ends meet; debt enquiries up by 30% in region:
Citizens Advice figures show people feeling the financial squeeze in north east (
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Citizens Advice is involved in an exiting new project to deliver Money Guidance to consumers in the north east of England from 31 March 2009.
The Government is committed to ensuring that, in the future, every adult in the UK can access generic financial advice or 'money guidance' and in 2007, commissioned the independent Thoresen Review to design a national Money guidance service. The final report of the Thoresen Review was published in March 2008, setting out a blueprint for the service and recommending that this is tested and refined through a large-scale pilot or ‘pathfinder’ led by the Financial Services Authority in partnership with Government. Further details of this review can be viewed at
The Thoresen report recommended that the principles of the service should be:
Where buying a product or taking commercial advice is the right solution, the service needs to refer users effectively to the financial services industry, in line with the other principles.
The pathfinder Money Guidance service provided by delivery partners will give free, in-depth support, tailored to individuals’ circumstances and needs, on a whole range of money matters including:
The service aims to help people feel confident, informed and able to make the financial decisions that are right for them by giving information about their options and personalised guidance. It differs from regulated financial advice in that it will not make recommendations for particular financial products or services. It will not include casework support. Referrals will be made to other services where needed.
Money Guidance (MoneyMadeClear service) is available:
moneymadeclear.fsa.gov.ukThe service starts with operational testing beginning on 31 March 2009 and will cover the north east and north west regions of England. The formal launch of the service took place in the week after Easter although clients could be referred to the Citizens Advice service in advance of this date.
The pathfinder is jointly funded by the Financial Services Authority and HM Treasury. The Financial Services Authority is co-ordinating delivery of the pathfinder. There will be an ongoing evaluation to inform decisions on how best to roll out the service nationally.
All money guides will go through a full training programme and will be assessed as competent initially and on an ongoing basis.
In the north east and north west, Money Guidance will be available face-to-face, delivered by local partner organisations. The lead partners are Citizens Advice in the north east and A4E in the north west who will provide the full range of subject areas over the whole region to a consistent standard and will work with other smaller and specialist partners in their regions to facilitate best practice and provide ongoing training.
We will be working in partnership with a number of local and regional partners to deliver services, as well as taking referrals direct from the public and from the Money Guidance helpline.
The Financial Services Authority MoneyMadeClear helpline number is 0300 500 5000*
Calls should cost no more than 01 or 02 UK wide calls, and are included in inclusive mobile and landline minutes. However, for those clients who would like face to face advice, please contact the appropriate Citizens Advice Bureau direct on the below telephone numbers, although an appointment can also be made via the telephone helpline service.
Thirteen bureaux will be delivering services covering the whole of the north east area. The below are the numbers that you or your clients can access the service on. If you would like to discuss a more formal referral arrangement, please
or contact bureaux direct on the details below.
Also get in touch if you would like a stock of leaflets or posters for your organisation and service users.
You can refer clients and make appointments with the CAB service by contacting:
| Area | Bureau |
|---|---|
| Northumberland | Wansbeck CAB covering all Northumberland |
| Tees Valley | Darlington CAB |
| Middlesbrough CAB | |
| Hartlepool CAB | |
| Redcar CAB | |
| Stockton on Tees CAB | |
| Tyne & Wear | Washington (Sunderland) CAB |
| Newcastle CAB | |
| South Tyneside CAB also covering North Tyneside | |
| Durham County | Chester-le-Street CAB also covering Easington |
| Derwentside CAB also covering Durham | |
| Sedgefield CAB |
There are several other bureaux who are involved in the Money Guidance pathfinder in the Merseyside area as part of a different partnerships.
| Partnership | Bureau | Contact details |
|---|---|---|
| Liverpool Money Talks | RAISE | email Gregory Sheen 0151 291 7845 |
| Toxteth CAB | email John O'Meara 0151 280 5915 | |
| Speke CAB | email Andrew Wilson 0151 336 9364 | |
| North Liverpool CAB | email Siw Jones 0151 285 1089 | |
| Knowsley Advice Forum | Knowsley CAB | 0845 1221 300 0151 477 6005 |
