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FAO Alfie

**helen****helen** Deactivated Posts: 9,235 Supreme Poster
in Home, Law & Money
And anyone else who might want to know.

The question was asked in last night's chat - what's Citizen's Advice?
Help you can get from a Citizens Advice Bureau

Citizens Advice Bureaux offer free, confidential, impartial and independent advice from over 3,500 locations. These include high streets, community centres, doctors? surgeries, courts and prisons.

Our advice helps people resolve their problems with debt, benefits, employment, housing, discrimination, and many more issues. It is available to everyone.

Advice may be given face-to-face or by phone. Most bureaux can arrange home visits and some also provide email advice. A growing number are piloting the use of text, online chat and webcams. Search for your local bureau to see the full range of services it provides.

CAB advice factsheet
Watch an introduction to the Citizens Advice service and how it can help signed in British sign language.

And to give this thread a bit more purpose...

Has anyone ever been to their local bureau - if so, what did you go for and were they able to help?

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I went because I was having money problems. I had a trust fund, that was counting against my ability to claim benefits. It was being counted as savings, and I felt that it shouldn't because it wasn't my money until I was 25. Turns out, that technically I can sell my right to the fund, and access money like that.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I've not had much help from the CAB. Often when I go they tend to be run solely by volunteers who seem to have had limited training and little understanding of the issues that people may come to them with. Luckily I've got an amazing service which is run by a local charity who I have been able to go to about housing and benefit issues.
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    **helen****helen** Deactivated Posts: 9,235 Supreme Poster
    Miss_Riot wrote: »
    I've not had much help from the CAB. Often when I go they tend to be run solely by volunteers who seem to have had limited training and little understanding of the issues that people may come to them with.

    That's a shame, I know that's not the case across the board, so it's unfortunate that's the way it is in your area.

    What's the local service you use? Great to hear you have it.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I went to see an advisor at the local library a few months back to check what benefits I was entitled to. He wasn't much help. I found him patronising and more interested in showing that he could work out formulas and equations better than me than anything else. He went on a political rant because of all the changes the new government are bringing in which is fair enough but it wasn't particularly useful to me at the time.

    I asked about coming back when I had all the right paperwork and he just cut me off by saying 'I think I've helped you as much as I can'. I'm hoping I was just really unlucky with that advisor because I've heard that they provide a good service for other people.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I used them july last July and again in April for help with a DLA claim.

    The advisor made a strong case to put in an appeal but when the time came for the appeal, they weren't very helpful in terms of advice and were very unreasonable with schedule times.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    When I was first claiming benefits for being ill I went to my local Under 25s centre which is much like the CAB for under 25s. I found them really helpful and they knew the maze of benefits and were able to put me in touch with a mental health specialist benefits advisor who did my dla form. They did my income support form and told me how to deal with the housing ones. Also I felt they provided emotional support since I was crying a lot at being in this situation and they were really encouraging telling me that I was entitled to this money so I shouldn't feel bad about claiming it.
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    **helen****helen** Deactivated Posts: 9,235 Supreme Poster
    clementine_the_tangerine wrote: »
    I went to see an advisor at the local library a few months back to check what benefits I was entitled to. He wasn't much help. I found him patronising and more interested in showing that he could work out formulas and equations better than me than anything else. He went on a political rant because of all the changes the new government are bringing in which is fair enough but it wasn't particularly useful to me at the time.

    I asked about coming back when I had all the right paperwork and he just cut me off by saying 'I think I've helped you as much as I can'. I'm hoping I was just really unlucky with that advisor because I've heard that they provide a good service for other people.

    Interesting, I didn't know that you could access CAB services via libraries. I wonder if they'd be open to feedback?
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    **helen****helen** Deactivated Posts: 9,235 Supreme Poster
    Randomgirl wrote: »
    When I was first claiming benefits for being ill I went to my local Under 25s centre which is much like the CAB for under 25s.

    Interesting - acknowledging that specialists need skills and knowledge relating to young people specifically is probably important and perhaps something lacking in mainstream services?
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