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.
I recently read an article that described the bureau front line as‘the fall-out zone where politics, finance and real life collide.
It’s stayed with me as a particularly acute observation on the nature of our work, and never truer than during the recession we find ourselves in. In the last year, bureaux have reported huge increases in recession related issues. Debt problems, for example, are up 11 per cent, mostly due to an increase in mortgage and secured loan arrears. Employment problems are up 17 per cent in total, and redundancy problems in particular have gone up a terrifying 114 per cent. It’s all evidence of people struggling to maintain some sense of domestic normality after getting thwacked by the almost supernatural forces of the world economy.
Bureaux have responded swiftly and with typical good humour. They haven’t baulked in the face of a tidal wave of demand, but have instead looked at ways to work more efficiently. Almost all now offer short diagnostic interviews to prioritise urgent cases, make speedy referrals and give those who can help themselves the means to do so. For some bureaux, working more efficiently has meant merging with others, to pool resources and share specialist services.
Being in touch with the needs of local communities is part of who we are. We don’t see ourselves as working in them, but belonging to them. In fact our close involvement with clients almost certainly means we know more about any given community than many public authorities or distant decision makers. So we don’t wait to be told that a community is struggling; we’ve generally spotted it ourselves and are already suggesting solutions both to local and national governments.
This year we’re celebrating our 70th birthday and it’s one of our proudest achievements that we remain as responsive to people’s changing needs today, as war time necessitated when bureaux first opened their doors.
This publication tells the story of the different ways we work. I’ve picked out a few highlights of what we’ve achieved on each front during 2008/09. It includes several real life stories from clients and shows how we’ve come alongside them to help resolve their problems and remove their anxiety.
Bureaux are showing incredible resilience during these difficult times. I’m sure you’ll join me in thanking them and pledge to use your influence to ensure that, whatever the pressures on the public and private sectors, they continue to receive the resources they need to carry on their indispensable work.
David Harker
Chief Executive, Citizens Advice
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