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.
Current issues and future reports
We hope that you find this short update on our activity useful. For any journalists who are less familiar with the charity Citizens Advice and the work of local bureaux, here are some key facts. More information about the Citizens Advice service can be found in About us.
Current issues we are engaged in
Welfare issues
- Tax credits, particularly overpayment debts from 2003/4 and 2005/6
- The behaviour of letting agents and the case for statutory regulation
- Legal representation before the Asylum Support Tribunal
- Enforcement of unpaid Employment Tribunal awards
- Unaffordable prescription charges
- The cost of school uniforms and trips and the impact on low-income families
- Review of the Social Fund
- Employment & Support Allowance
- Welfare reform and returning to work
Money, consumer and justice issues
- Unfair debt collection and enforcement practices
- Mortgage arrears and behaviour of lenders [and the impact of support packages]
- Gaps in legal aid and ensuring provision for vulnerable people
- The protection of consumer deposits when companies fail
- The future of the post office network
- Debt remedies and self help
Contact the press office for full details.
See also Press office for other media resources and press releases.
Key facts about the Citizens Advice service
- The Citizens Advice service is a network of charities helping people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing advice, and by influencing policy makers.
- Citizens Advice Bureaux in England and Wales advised 2 million clients on 6 million problems from April 2008 to March 2009. These consisted of problems relating to debt, welfare benefits, employment issues, housing, legal issues, relationships, utilities and many others.
- Last year our www.adviceguide.org.uk website received over 7.3 million unique visits from people looking for information to help them solve their problems.
- There are 426 member bureaux in England and Wales delivering advice in over 3,200 locations.
- Bureaux have a combined workforce of 26,000 of whom 20,000 are volunteers.
- More than 50% of people asked in a MORI poll said that they had used a Citizens Advice Bureau themselves, or had family or friends who had.
Press office contacts
The best way to contact us (media enquiries only) is by telephone:
