Associate Feature: Life-changing results from Citizens Advice

As we face the worst cost of living crisis in memory the Citizens Advice network is helping people across Scotland. 

People might not understand the scale or breadth of what the network does. It’s a wraparound, person centred service which tries to help people though all their issues.

Life isn’t black and white and CABs understand this, in fact 4 in 10 of the cases they deal with are complex, requiring multiple types of advice. 

Looking at energy, the issue all of us are worried about. Around half of the utilities advice CABs give requires advice in other areas, such as Universal Credit, housing, disability support or debt. 
That wraparound service is what makes CABs special. 

The results they can get for people can be simply life-changing. One in five people getting advice from the network see some sort of financial gain, and the average value of that is over £4,400.
Imagine the impact that money could make to someone struggling with the heart-breaking choice between heating and eating. 

The advice across the network is worth up to £245million in net benefits to Scottish society, and it’s delivered with the empathy and understanding you get from local people helping their community. We’re for everyone regardless of background and circumstance. 

As times change, the Citizens Advice network is changing with it. Not just in terms of the type of advice we deliver, but how we deliver it. Every month around 200,000 people check our online advice and 20,000 get advice from us in person or over the phone.  For vulnerable people with complex needs there’s still no substitute for face to face advice. So as restrictions wind down, Scotland faces a new crisis. The CAB network is here, offering people support in a way few, if any, other services truly can.

This article is sponsored by Citizens Advice Scotland.