Citizens Advice: how we can help you This article is an outline of the services we offer at Epping Forest Citizens Advice and the issues that people come to us about.
area. So, a service which may be available in one area won’t be necessarily be in another area.
In our District we can advise you on any benefits issue. If it’s appropriate we can help with form-filling and can correspond on Citizens Advice has been around a long time. It was set up in your behalf with the Department for Work and Pensions or the 1939, just before the Second World War. It came to this area in Council. If you want to challenge a decision we can advise you the 1950s through various local initiatives. It is still very much a what to do and can argue your case for you, though we can’t locally-based service. Each local Citizens Advice is a separate charity with its own board of local trustees. We are all affiliated to usually represent you at a face to face hearing before a tribunal. We can’t guarantee success but our success rate is high. the national organisation, which provides us with advice, technical support, and audit services, but almost all our money is On debt issues, we have experienced and skilled debt advisers raised locally. who can advise you on debt solutions and deal with creditors on Our main financial supporter is Epping Forest District Council but your behalf.
they do not control us and they respect our need to be independ- There are many other charities and advice agencies providing ent and to act solely in the interests of our clients. services in this area and across the country so if you come to us Who can ask our help? Anyone who lives, works or studies in the with an issue where we don’t have the resources or expertise to help you over time or in detail we can refer you to another approEpping Forest District. You don’t have to be a British citizen. In the last year (1 October 2021 to 30 September 2022) we regis- priate organisation, such as the Advisory Conciliation and Arbitered a total of 1925 clients across the District. Of these, 76 were tration Service (ACAS) for employment issues, or Shelter or a specialist housing solicitor for housing issues. from North Weald. What are the issues that people come to us with? There is a wide range but the biggest issues are those relating to state benefits and tax credits. These amount to about half of our caseload. They include Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, and many others. After benefits the biggest issues are debt, financial services and housing. Often a lot of issues are connected, which is why we try to cover as wide a range as possible.
How do you contact us? The best way is by phone. The number, which is free, is 0808 278 7855. We have advisers on hand to answer between 9.30 and 2.30, Tuesday to Thursday. We are very busy at the moment so if you can’t get through at first try again. We also have an adviser at the Hub at the Civic Offices in Epping every Thursday between 9.30 and 2.30 if you want to talk to someone face-to-face.
What can we do to help? The service any local Citizens Advice If you just want information you can go to the Citizens Advice can provide is inevitably limited by the locally available resources national website www.citizensadvice.org.uk. and the skills and the experience of the staff and volunteers in an Source: Paul Stockton
Page 29
Tel: 07814 863955
Email: june@northwealdvillagelife.co.uk
www.northwealdvillagelife.co.uk
