Our aims and principlesThe CAB Service aims:

● to ensure that individuals do not suffer through lack of knowledge of theirrights and responsibilities or of the services available to them, or through aninability to express their needs effectively

and equally:

● to exercise a responsible influence on the development of social policies andservices both locally and nationally.

The CAB Service is independent and provides free, confidential and impartialadvice to everybody regardless of race, sex, disability, sexuality or nationality.

Working together, NACAB and bureaux will:

● make our services more accessible

● provide a quality service

● represent our clients’ interests

● raise our profile

● obtain the human and financial resources we need to achieve these goals

National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux115-123 Pentonville RoadLondon N1 9LZ

Telephone 020 7833 2181Fax 020 7833 4371www.nacab.org.ukwww.adviceguide.org.uk

Bridging

National Association ofCitizens Advice BureauxAnnual report 2001/2002

communities

Message fromHRH The Princess Royal Patron of NACABI was delighted to be invited to speak at the CABService’s Annual Conference in York, where I wasable to meet the winners of the 2001 CABVolunteer of the Year award. This award recognisesthe vital contribution of the 19,716 volunteers tothe CAB Service.

In January, I visited Wrexham CAB to unveil thenew Welsh language logo for the CAB Service,Cyngor Ar Bopeth – advice on everything – a trulyliteral translation for a Service which hascontinually developed and expanded its scope tomeet the challenges of the day. Every year I alsovisit many bureaux to see their work in action. I am always impressed by the innovative servicesthey provide in their communities, often with veryrestricted resources.

I would like to thank all of the Service’s donorsand I hope others will be able to lend their supportin the future.

Message fromSir Graham HartChair of NACABThe whole ethos of the CAB Service is abouthelping people – no matter who they are – toexercise their rights and to obtain fair treatmentunder the law and thereby improve their lives.We have long aspired to promote equality, anobjective that is central to our values.

We believe in forging partnerships withother bodies, statutory and voluntary, to benefitour clients and our potential clients. This reportgives many examples of such working togetherand we are always searching for newopportunities for partnerships.

Simply by doing our own job well, we notonly help many individuals in need, but we alsomake a vital contribution to the communitieswe serve: for example, our work promoteseconomic regeneration, helps individuals todevelop their potential and encourages active citizenship.

National Association of Citizens

Citizens Advice Bureaux deliver high quality advice and information from

over 2000 service outlets across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, as

well as by telephone, via the internet www.adviceguide.org.uk, by

email and through the media. Advice provided by Citizens Advice

Bureaux is free, confidential and impartial, and open to everybody

regardless of race, sex, disability, sexuality or nationality.

Each Citizens Advice Bureau is a charity, and bureaux are run by a

total of 5,135 paid staff and 19,716 volunteers. Bureaux belong to the

National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux (NACAB), which sets

standards for advice and equal opportunities and supports bureaux with

an information system, training and other services. NACAB also

co-ordinates social policy, media, publicity and parliamentary work.

Bureaux are supported by a central office in London, a national office

in Wales, a network of field offices in England and Wales, and the

Northern Ireland Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux. Bureaux in

Scotland belong to a separate organisation, Citizens Advice Scotland.

Bridging communities 2Key achievements 2-3Improving people’s ability to cope 4-5Promoting equality, tackling discrimination 6-7Helping deal with illness and disability 8-9CAB Service at a glance 10-11CAB client problems

• Social security 12• Consumer and debt 12• Employment 13• Housing 13• Legal systems 14• Immigration/Asylum 14

Providing training and promoting active citizenship 15How we are funded 16-17Help us bridge communities 18-19Contact us 20Thank you 21

Photo credits: All photos Justin Piperger except inside front cover Mark McKenzie, top back cover Joanne O’Brien, bottom left page 11, Crown Copyright, page 14, Fleet CAB.

Advice Bureaux 2001/2002

In every area I visit,Citizens Advice Bureauxplay an integral part ofvirtually every newpartnership initiative. Though the CAB Service is bestknown for the help it provides to individuals, our workin fact brings about change for whole sections ofsociety. This is to some extent cumulative – the moreindividuals we help to claim their benefit entitlements,the more money comes into a local economy. And ofcourse, our evidence-based social policy work usesindividual CAB client experiences to build up a pictureof problems affecting particular groups and aims toresolve them by influencing changes in policy or legislation.

But our impact goes even deeper than this. Whilewe rightly focus on the individual client, we neverforget that he or she may share common experiencesand concerns with others. Citizens Advice Bureaux lookat the make-up of communities, identify those inparticular need and reach out to them. This year’s workto encourage the reporting of racist incidents is justone example. We are also determined to provide ourservices to people who may be excluded in other ways,for example, through lack of access to IT and theservices that can be accessed through it.

Just as much as providing help to the individual whowalks through the door, our work ensures that the CAB Service is a force for social regeneration, buildingstronger, more cohesive communities. Examples of thiswork are shown throughout this report.

David HarkerChief Executive

Family visitor visa appeal fees abolishedFollowing a social policy campaign using CAB clients’experiences, the Government has now removed fees forappeals against family visitor visa refusals. [p14]

Improvements in consumer legislation After years of campaigning, the Enterprise Bill containsimproved protection for consumers. CAB evidence ledto a long-awaited government review of consumercredit legislation which is expected to tackle loansharks, magnify the small print in credit agreementsand put a stop to irresponsible lending practices.

Greater support for NHS complainantsWorking with others, the CAB Service ensured that thenew statutory complaints advocacy services for NHS complaints would be genuinely independent,following government proposals to abolish CommunityHealth Councils.

Increased fundingIncome from the Legal Services Commission hasincreased by over £5.7 million and income from non local authority funding increased by 26 per cent,providing the CAB Service with the opportunity to diversify. [p17]

B r i d g i n g c o m m u n i t i e s

Increasing incomes, reducing povertyProblems with social security remain high for CAB clients.Welfare benefit take-up campaigns bring new money intoa local community. CAB advice and support helps peopleassert their rights and ensures that unclaimed benefits are paid. [p12]

Improving financial literacyThere is no doubt that the UK faces a problem offinancial literacy. Our report Summing up: bridging thefinancial literacy divide, (November 2001) highlightedthe profound effects of low levels of financial literacyright across the socio-economic spectrum. Over 70 CABxare already engaged in projects delivering communitybased personal finance education. [p4]

Improving healthPoverty causes ill health and vice versa. In recognition ofthis, many CABx are being funded by primary care trustsand others to provide advice in health settings. [p8] We commissioned MORI research which showed that750,000 people experiencing ill health fail to afford alltheir prescriptions. We highlighted the extent of theproblem for CAB clients in our evidence report,Unhealthy Charges (July 2001).

Winning justice for clientsCitizens Advice Bureaux support clients through bothformal and informal channels, to help them assert theirrights and entitlements, in particular for those who haveexperienced discrimination. Problems are often resolvedwithout referral to tribunals or courts. However, if thiscannot be negotiated, CABx also represent clientsthrough formal channels. In 2001/2002, 83 per cent ofCABx provided tribunal representation for clients.

Key achievements during 2001/2002

2

Bridging

Bringing communities togetherAgainst the background of urban civil unrest duringSummer 2001, and following events of September11th, the CAB Service pledged to further develop theirlinks with and to support black and minority ethniccommunities to increase access to advice and topromote social cohesion. A programme of work iscurrently underway to support this. [p6]

Welsh benefit take up campaignLast year, bureaux in Wales gained a total of £15.8 million for clients in unclaimed benefits, byhelping people to apply for and challenge refusedbenefit claims.

Investment in basic and financial literacy skillsBuilding on CABx success in reaching local communitieswith personal finance skills training, we have securedfunding over the next three years from Prudential plc todeliver adult financial literacy initiatives. [p4]

Partnership Innovation Budget successesOf the 76 grants awarded during 2001/2002 by theLegal Services Commission for legal and advicepartnership projects, 24 were allocated to CitizensAdvice Bureaux. [p14]

B r i d g i n g c o m m u n i t i e s 3

Providing community leadershipCitizens Advice Bureaux actively promote communitywell-being. Partnerships to improve social inclusion,community cohesion and neighbourhood renewal are atthe heart of the work of the CAB Service. CABx are keyplayers in Local Strategic Partnerships and 336 are part ofConsumer Support Networks.

Removing barriers to employmentLack of basic skills and confidence are just some of thebarriers to employment that CABx are helping toimprove. CAB volunteering is often a useful step intoemployment or further training and helps build skills and confidence. [p15]

Developing outreach services CABx are constantly working to make their services moreaccessible to those who need them most. Our ruralbureaux are playing increasingly important roles in theircommunities by tackling the effects of crises in thecountryside, for example, by providing greater access totelephone and email advice. In Gwynedd, which has alow population density, the majority of advice is nowprovided by telephone. [p10]

The CAB Service makes a significant impact on boththe lives of individuals and communities. CitizensAdvice Bureaux will continue to play a pivotal rolein the coming year.

A valued service

communitiesThe Department of Trade and Industry’sindependently commissioned five yearly reviewhighlighted the strengths of the CAB Service:

● independent generalist advice service whichcaters to the whole person

● widely recognised and trusted national network

● evidence-based social policy work which is heldin high esteem by policy-makers

● constantly working to make services moreaccessible to the most deprived individuals

● volunteer-based and rooted in local communities

● partnership work which brings about more joined-up services

The review, a positive endorsement of the CAB Service and our progress in the last few years, concluded:

“The CAB Service provides excellent value inreturn for the public funding it receives. Itmakes a significant contribution to individualsand communities, as well as to the process ofpolicy-making and service delivery. Its holisticapproach, national coverage and independenceare values to be cherished.”

When Sharon Hughes, a care home manager from rural Norfolk

got into more than £7,000 worth of debt, she had to sell her flat

to get back on her feet.

Unexpected bills for building repairs led to Sharon borrowing

extra to cover her mortgage payments. Sharon says: “I was

desperate and couldn’t believe I’d got myself in this situation. I

didn’t want things to spiral out of control and end up with bailiffs

knocking on my door.”

When she realised she needed some extra help, Sharon

approached Wymondham, Attleborough and District Citizens

Advice Bureau.

“I went to the CAB and they were fabulous. They prioritised

what I needed to pay, worked out payment schemes for me, got

my mortgage and car payments in line and froze my store cards.

My debts are all paid off and now I put aside a bit of money each

month to make sure I don’t get in the same situation again.”

“I went tothe CAB andthey werefabulous.”

Improving people’s abilit

Helping clients manage debtCABx dealt with 1,007,124 new debts this year. InWales, this represented 60,014 new debt enquiries.There are 1,214 voluntary or paid money advicespecialists in CABx in England and Wales helping clientsmanage their debt problems. We launched a major newappeal to raise funds to help tackle the escalation inunsustainable debt. These funds are vital to providegreater financial stability for bureaux and to developinnovative CABx projects.

Improving financial literacyOne in five adults experience problems with their basicskills which makes it hard for them to take control oftheir lives, for example, understanding the small print,or writing official letters. CAB evidence shows peoplehave problems with choosing a range of financialservices, extended warranties, mortgages and fuelsuppliers. Many benefits also go unclaimed. Ourevidence report Summing up (November 2001) onfinancial literacy, also highlighted the public need fortrusted financial advice.

Families on low incomes in Farnborough are beingequipped with the skills for day-to-day financialmanagement as a result of a partnership betweenFarnborough CAB, a local housing association and an NSPCC centre.

B r i d g i n g c o m m u n i t i e s4

y to cope

5B r i d g i n g c o m m u n i t i e s

Rav attended a financial literacy workshop runby Portsmouth CAB’s Debtline in partnershipwith Portsmouth City Council for people onNew Deal. Debtline Co-ordinator Vincent Ibbssays: “We discuss things like interest rates andwhat to be careful about when consideringloans, and I ask them to create their ownfinancial statement and prioritise any debtsthey might have.”

Addressing rural deprivation● Over 2,000 enquiries were handled in seven months

by our Rural Emergency CAB Project helpline andemail service which was set up in response to the

foot and mouth crisis. Staffed by CAB moneyadvisers, the project was made possible with supportfrom a number of charitable trusts and corporatedonors including The Esmee Fairbairn Foundation,The Freemasons’ Grand Charity, The CalousteGulbenkian Foundation, The Henry Smith Charityand Pfizer Limited.

● The Friends of CABx Trust – an independent grantmaking charity – provided grants to a number ofbureaux this year to support rural communities. MidDevon CAB used their grant to extend telephoneservices after the foot and mouth crisis andLeominster CAB received funding to support theirrural outreach services.

Michelle Abdel-Sayed and her sister Denise Simpson from

Gateshead were forced to walk out of their jobs at a local social

club after receiving repeated sexist and racist remarks.

Blyth Valley CAB’s Employment Tribunal Caseworker, Neil Carr,

helped them successfully take their cases to tribunal, where they

were awarded £10,000 in compensation for discrimination.

Michelle says: “I was working full time during the day and

three nights a week at the club to help furnish our new flat.

The taunts at work just got worse especially when they were

directed at my husband Shazly, who is Egyptian. One night it just

got too much and both Denise and I walked out.

We originally saw a solicitor but he suddenly decided not to

take the case, on the very day the tribunal papers needed to be

in. We rushed down to the CAB, got the forms filled in and

submitted them. Neil did an excellent job for us. Both Denise and

I were on anti-depressants and sleeping pills to cope with it all.

The tribunal was stressful and although my husband was quite

apprehensive about me going through with it, I’m glad we did.

I always recommend the CAB to people if they have problems

– I can’t fault them.”

“I alwaysrecommendthe CAB topeople – I can’tfault them.”

Promoting equality, tack

Responding to community needsIn response to escalating racist incidents, NACABbrought CABx together to help support and developtheir key role. An emergency motion at our AGM led tothe production of a guide to promote race equality forall CABx. The guide has been positively received and isfull of examples of existing CAB work with black and minority ethnic communities and ideas for further action.

Many CABx are already involved in local partnerships topromote racial equality and tackle discrimination, andmany more are being developed:

● Hull CAB has an Ethnic Minorities Advice Projectwhich provides advice services with funding fromthe local authority.

● People are being encouraged to report racist crimesthrough Halton CAB’s membership of a new multiagency ethnicity forum.

● Hyndburn CAB has joined with local police,churches, mosques and other advice agencies toform Hyndburn Against Racism Charter.

● Attendees at a Hindu Community Centre receive adviceat a monthly session run by Middlesbrough CAB.

● Funding from the Health Action Zone is helpingBrent CAB to recruit volunteers from refugeecommunities to provide advice in their own language.

B r i d g i n g c o m m u n i t i e s6

ling discrimination

7B r i d g i n g c o m m u n i t i e s

● All fourteen CABx in rural Suffolk are reportingcentres for racist incidents.

● Kingston CAB has joined with the police, socialservices, race equality council and the localauthority, to develop a shared protocol and training for the local racist incident and hate crime reporting scheme.

Challenging discriminationMore CAB clients face discrimination at work than inany other area of their lives, accounting for over 50 percent of all CAB discrimination related cases. CABxprovide people with the advice and support to helpthem challenge discrimination and put their lives back together.

Patrick, an openly gay man, had a nervousbreakdown and tried to commit suicidefollowing repeated harassment at work abouthis sexuality. He was referred by his CommunityPsychiatric Nurse to an adviser from Ynys MonCAB at a regular advice session based at aMIND surgery. Although he decided not topursue a case for discrimination, his adviseraccompanied him to a magistrates court to sortout unpaid fines, helped him apply for incomesupport and disabled living allowance andprioritised his debts with him.

Two years ago, Tony, a survivor of both the Heysel Stadium and

Hillsborough disasters went to a Liverpool survivors meeting.

“I was unemployed and in a lot of debt. My mental health was

really bad and I desperately needed to get things sorted out. It

was at the survivors meeting that I heard about Dale Street CAB.

The CAB really did save my life.”

“At my first appointment, the adviser, Mark, quickly saw how

bad it all was. I had huge arrears on the house but they

straightened it all out for me. They sorted out my welfare and

housing benefits and successfully appealed for me to get

backdated and underpaid benefits as a Hillsborough survivor.

I now get Disabled Living Allowance because I can’t work. Most

of all, the CAB didn’t ever patronise me; treated me like a human

being and I now feel very much alive and ready to move forward

again. I will be eternally grateful because they never ever gave

up on me.”

“The CABreally didsave my life.They neverever gave upon me.”

Helping deal with illness

B r i d g i n g c o m m u n i t i e s8

Improving health There are now 681 regular CAB outlets in hospitals,health centres, hospices and GP surgeries and agrowing number of innovative partnership projects withmental health services. Oldham and District CABreceived health authority funding to provide outreachsessions in GP surgeries and to add a ward visitingscheme to their existing hospital CAB.

Access to advice right across Wales has beenincreased by the development of new CAB generalistand welfare rights advice services in primary health caresettings; through funding secured by NACAB Cymrufrom the National Assembly for Wales.

Siobhan was pregnant when she lost her job. Herante-natal clinic referred her to a GP based adviceproject run by Newport CAB. In addition topursuing a case for sex discrimination, she has beenable to sort out multiple debts with her CAB adviserat ongoing appointments at the GP surgery.

Reducing homelessnessCABx prevent homelessness by resolving disputesbetween tenants and landlords, giving advice aboutrent arrears and assisting with applications for housingbenefit. Our partnership project with Shelter – the

and disability

National Homelessness Advice Service (NHAS), fundedby the Department of Transport, Local Government andthe Regions (DTLR) – brings the expertise of twonational organisations together to improve localpractice. NHAS provides specialist support to CABxadvisers on homelessness and housing issues. In2001/02, there were 9,729 new cases dealt with on theconsultancy lines, 1,659 cases referred and more than6,000 CAB workers attended training on homelessness,housing policy and practice.

Regenerating communitiesCABx were identified by the Coalfields RegenerationTrust as a key resource for restoring the health and

prosperity of coalfield communities, following extensivepit closures. Across England and Wales, 62 bureauxreceived funding from October 2000 to March 2002 tosupport advice giving in these communities. Over600,000 enquiries were dealt with, many of whichwere debt related. Almost £23 million was brought intocoalfield communities in welfare benefit income. NorthWarwickshire CAB set up a credit union; while otherCABx ran home visiting and outreach advice servicesand volunteer recruitment programmes. A total of 669volunteers were recruited through these projects, ofwhich 156 have already moved on to paid employmentor further education.

9B r i d g i n g c o m m u n i t i e s

10 B r i d g i n g c o m m u n i t i e s

CAB Service at a glance The work of the CAB Service connects topeople’s lives in thousands of differentways. We are:

• a provider of information and advice• a training agency• an employer• a respected source of influence on

local and national policy.

The figures on these pages illustrate someof the key areas of work for the Service.

Benefits

Consumer and utilities

Employment

Housing

Legal

Relationships

Tax

Other

1,628,719

1,194,057

601,227

573,056

460,158

389,558

149,550

721,240

1,723,205

1,174,764

631,768

600,198

479,189

387,726

153,944

707,473

CAB client problems:

We dealt with 5,717,565 new problems –5,252, 918 in England, 276,871 in Wales and 187,776 inNorthern Ireland. Problems with benefits were the mostfrequent, and consumer debt problems have increased by 46 per cent over the last five years. CABx are increasinglyundertaking detailed casework for clients in some problemareas. These cases can take many months or even years toresolve. As the option for referral to free advice fromsolicitors is reduced, the number of new enquiries bureauxcan take on each year has declined.

We providedface-to-faceadvice fromover 2,000outlets acrossEngland, Walesand NorthernIreland.

Advice wasregularlyprovided in:

36 magistratescourts

139 county courts42 prisons

321 communitycentres

30 schools607 GP surgeries

/health centres70 general

hospitals91 psychiatric

hospitals4 hospices

…and in manymore places

2001/2002

2000/2001

11B r i d g i n g c o m m u n i t i e s

2001/2002NACAB researched and wrote

detailed responses to66 consultationsand select committees, and providednumerous briefings for MPs andAssembly Members. Our local, regionaland national social policy work usesCAB clients’ experiences to get thingschanged for the better for everyone.

Our public information and advice websitewww.adviceguide.org.uk, saw a

60 per cent increase invisitors since last year, withemployment the most popular section,receiving over 440,000 hits. Seven per cent of bureaux now haveadviceguide in their waiting areas and there isevidence that in busy bureaux people are usingthe site to help resolve their own problems.

We ensure that all sectors of the community canaccess our services. We provide advice in bureaux,in people’s homes, in public places and bytelephone. Over 25 per cent of CABx also provideelectronic advice and 41 per cent offer an adviceservice in British Sign Language. Citizens Connect, a

£20 million IT investment to provide the IT infrastructure needed across the CABnetwork, is being rolled out thanks to theGovernment’s Capital Modernisation Fund. This willallow us to greatly improve our case recording andhelp bring e-government services to CABx.

CABx were open tothe public for1,193,764 hoursand many more hourswere spent negotiatingwith third parties and onfollow-up casework.

Around 98 per cent ofCABx use our monthlyupdated electronicinformation system toprovide advice to clients. It contains around

430 Mb ofinformationon a CD-Rom, providingdetailed information onvirtually every problem a client might bring into a bureau.

This year we had 19,716volunteers in many roles 57 per cent as advisers, 22 per cent as trustee boardmembers, 9 per cent asadministrators and 12 per centin other roles including socialpolicy and IT co-ordinatorsand fundraisers.

● The number of new problems with social securitybenefits brought to CABx are consistently high. Clientsseek assistance with establishing eligibility, makingbenefit claims, chasing application progress andappealing against decisions.

● Following the reorganisation of government departmentswhich resulted in the Department for Work and Pensions andthe merging of the Employment Service and the BenefitsAgency, we co-ordinated a campaign to highlight areas ofpoor benefit administration with a grant from The CalousteGulbenkian Foundation.

● Benefit take-up campaigns were run by many Citizens AdviceBureaux this year to maximise the incomes of people who failto claim benefits to which they are entitled. For example,more than £16,500 in benefits and 129 new claims forAttendance Allowance were secured when Dacorum CABcontacted 246 clients through an outreach project.

● Problems with Working Families’ Tax Credit were highlightedin our evidence report Work in Progress (February 2001). TheGovernment has since published proposals for new tax credits,and from 2003, integrated child credit will be payable tofamilies with children and employment tax credit, to lowincome working households both with or without children.

B r i d g i n g c o m m u n i t i e s

● Debt cases have continued to rise this year, with a 46 per cent increase in the number of consumer debtproblems dealt with by CABx over the last five years.

● Results of a survey of debt clients carried out in CABx duringMay showed the top three reasons for indebtedness were jobloss, poverty and over-commitment. One-third of thosesurveyed owed more than £10,000.

● Millions of people do not know their consumer rights. A CABcommissioned survey by MORI published in September duringour annual Advice Week, found that only 7 per cent ofconsumers knew the maximum amount an NHS dentist canlegally charge and 51 per cent were unaware that they couldreturn a faulty reconditioned washing machine.

● The DTI announced a major overhaul of the consumer creditlaws this year. NACAB is a member of the steering group forthis review and many of the recommendations in our evidencereport Daylight Robbery (December 2000), which detailedCAB clients’ experience of extortionate credit, are now being considered.

● We welcomed the Government’s Enterprise Bill, which aims toimprove consumer protection legislation and insolvency laws.We pushed for the Bill to go further, to protect consumersagainst unfair trading practices and to help people whocannot afford bankruptcy fees.

● Work to influence policies takes place at all levels across theCAB Service. Dudley District CAB ran a one day debtawareness training session for credit controllers working forEgg – provider of credit cards and other financial services. This resulted in a charter to help improve Egg’s advice to their customers.

Social security Total 1,628,719 problems

Disability Benefits

Income Support

Housing Benefits

Sickness Benefits

Council Tax Benefits

Job Seekers Allowance

Working Families Tax Credit

Other

297,34218.2%

278,94017.1%

212,07813%

155,7009.6%

169,91110.4%

79,2354.9%87,7845.4%

347,72921.4%

12

Consumer and debt Total 1,468,331 problems

Consumer debt

Goods and services

Credit and finance

Insurance

Other consumer problems

Housing debt

Utilities debt

Tax debt

Other debts

Other utility problems

646,78744%

238,38516.2%

90,8286.2%

52,2873.6%36,9342.5%

118,2348.1%

86,0635.9%

69,4954.7%86,5455.9%

42,7732.9%

B r i d g i n g c o m m u n i t i e s

● Employment related problems are mainly linked toterms and conditions, dismissal and redundancy.

● CAB evidence shows that many of those who are low paid orworking for small employers are unwilling to enforce theirworkplace rights through the employment tribunal system.Our publication, Fairness and Enterprise (October 2001),used CAB clients’ evidence to put the CAB Service case for aFair Employment Commission.

● We welcomed the Government’s announcement to drop the proposed application and hearing fees for employmenttribunals which would have undoubtedly created a strongdisincentive for applications.

● Some of our concerns regarding parental rights at workaddressed in our evidence report Birth Rights (March 2001)were tackled in the Employment Bill in November. The Billextends provisions in respect of maternity and paternity rightsat work but still does little to ensure that individuals canactually enforce their rights at work.

Rina had worked for an international bank at a senior levelfor 18 years, when she suddenly found herself on thereceiving end of frequent discriminatory and demeaningcomments from her new line manager. Scared to take thematter to Head Office, and after a year of regular verbalabuse, she was advised by a family friend to go to City ofLondon CAB. She says: “The whole thing was awful. Myadviser, Loraine was brilliant and did most of thenegotiating for me. Eventually the bank settled out ofcourt for £57,000”.

Employment Total 601,227 problems

● Housing related debt and the threat of homelessnessaccount for over 33 per cent of all housing relatedproblems brought to CABx. Good quality and securehousing are vital to physical and mental well being, toenable people to take up employment opportunities andto play an active part in their community.

● The common problem of non-return of rental deposits couldbe reduced by the extension of a two year DTLR fundedTenancy Deposit Scheme pilot. Developed in direct response toour long term campaign and evidence report Unsafe Deposit(1998), the pilot scheme has shown real benefits – a workablesystem endorsed by landlords, agents and tenants with CABxoften bringing all the relevant players together. We welcomedthe Government’s announcement that it will consult on theintroduction of a statutory scheme.

● Many tenants face rent arrears and threatened homelessnessbecause of repeated failures in housing benefit administration.The CAB Service worked with Camden Housing BenefitService to produce and distribute a good practice guide to allCABx and local authority housing benefit departments toimprove both inter agency liaison and the service to housingbenefit claimants.

13

Terms and conditions

Dismissal

Redundancy

Discrimination

Self-employment

Debt

Unemployment Schemes

Other

255,57442.5%

104,80117.4%

68,33611.4%

22,5923.8%15,0472.5%

15,5112.6%

7,4431.2%

111,92318.6%

Housing Total 573,056 problems

Housing debt

Homelessness threat

Environment/Neighbour

Housing costs

Housing conditions

Security of tenure

Homelessness actual

Other

118,23420.6%72,24912.6%

60,29810.5%

52,8329.2%51,7519%

41,6127.3%

25,4654.5%

150,61526.3%

● CAB clients are repeatedly let down by the legalmechanisms to find solutions to their problems.

● We submitted CAB evidence to the Government showing theneed for improvements to the tribunals system following anindependent review which called for the development of aunified tribunals system with consistent standards of service.The review also identified the need for funding for voluntaryand community bodies, to improve the availability of layrepresentation at tribunals.

● Many CABx have partnerships with local law firms providingpro bono work. Brent CAB has a partnership with Clyde andCo. – a leading firm of solicitors which operates a free weeklylegal advice session in the evening at the bureau.

● The Legal Services Commission awarded £19.2 million incontracts to 227 bureaux to provide legal aid. This includedfunding 24 CABx Partnership Innovation Grants and severalpilot schemes for second tier and telephone advice.

● There has been a significant increase inthe number of clients seeking assistancewith immigration and asylum issues thisyear. CAB immigration cases are up 12 percent on last year, while nationality casesare up 10 per cent.

● Manchester District CAB was one of manywhich faced an unprecedented demand foradvice services from asylum seekers dispersedto the area. Following a significant increase inthe number of clients experiencing difficultieswith the National Asylum Support Service(NASS), we highlighted CAB client experiencesin our evidence report Process Error (February2002). Problems included poor standards ofservice, long delays, lack of appropriatesupport and accommodation and difficultiesgetting in contact with NASS.

● CAB client evidence played a significant partin the abolition of the fee for appeals ondecisions over family visitor visas. The fee hadalready been substantially reduced, but itsabolition will benefit many families who werepreviously unable to appeal against decisions.

Immigration/Asylum Total 75,848 problems

Legal systems Total 460,158 problems

Proceedings

Injury Compensation

Legal Aid

Debt

Other

243,51153%

48,40910.5%

24,4225.3%22,7424.9%

121,07426.3%

Emelia’s immigration status had been in dispute forfive years when she came to Fleet CAB. Unable toleave the country, she had even missed her ownfather’s funeral. Born in the Philippines, Emelia wasoriginally granted leave to enter the UK to work.She married Keith in 1995 and applied for leave toremain on this basis. The Home Office held boththeir passports and other documents and failedrepeatedly to respond to requests for updates.Adviser Richard Robinson said: “After unsuccessfullycontacting the Home Office on Emelia’s behalf wecalled on James Arbuthnot MP who received aresponse from the Home Office Minister and a rightfor her to stay for 12 months.” Eventually in January2002, Emelia applied for settled status and now hasindefinite leave to remain here with her husbandand son.

B r i d g i n g c o m m u n i t i e s14

Building capacityCABx rely on 19,716 volunteers, 79 per cent of all thoseinvolved in the Service. The value of volunteering inbuilding communities is increasingly being recognised. Itenhances confidence, skills, employability and helps createthriving communities. CAB advisers all receive training andfor many CAB volunteers, their volunteering experienceactually leads to paid employment within the advice sectoror elsewhere.

● During 2001/2002, 31 per cent of CAB volunteers wholeft the Service moved to paid employment and 4 percent moved on to further training.

● The Department for Education and Skills funded CAB Millennium Volunteer Project now has 358volunteers aged 16 – 24 in 128 CABx, all acquiringvaluable skills for future employment.

● At Taunton CAB, several people have benefited fromvolunteer placements through New Deal. Two nowhave full-time permanent jobs with other organisations,another has completed adviser training and continuesto volunteer at the bureau.

● At Hackney CAB, 90 per cent of volunteers move onto paid work or full-time education.

Developing skillsDaniel had been unemployed for a year and a half whenhe was recruited to volunteer at Hackney CAB. “Beingaccepted was an immediate boost to my confidence. Thetraining helped me get used to the routine of work again.After a year as a volunteer adviser, I applied and wasappointed as a full-time paid Generalist Adviser. I’m now aspecialist Welfare Rights Adviser which was a majorachievement for me. I have developed skills in IT, researchanalysis, communication and problem solving.”

Daniel says: “The knowledgeI have gained about individualrights has helped me with myown problems and I’vehelped family and friends.Hackney is a deprived areaand I have been able to makea contribution to my localcommunity.”

Citizens Advice Bureaux need volunteersfrom all communities to train as advisers, siton trustee boards, provide much neededadministrative and IT support, fundraisingand PR skills. We also need people whowant to campaign to improve policies andservices which aren’t working.

Caleb joined as anadviser after a 22 yearcareer in the Civil Service.“I volunteer three days aweek in one bureau andtwo days in another. I had a lot of experienceworking with SocialSecurity benefits and I wanted to continuehelping people after I retired.”

Sadia went from clientto volunteer adviser topaid worker in threeyears. “Now both mychildren are at school, Iwork full-time as a paidSenior Support Worker at my bureau. I’veencouraged severalclients to becomevolunteers by sharing myexperiences with them.”

Stephen is Trustee BoardMember at his local CAB.“It’s certainly a lot morethan just turning up atmeetings. It’s all been anamazing experience anda great way to developnew skills.”

Providing training andpromoting active citizenship

Help at the heart of your

community – volunteer for your

local Citizens Advice Bureau:

call 08451 264 264 (local rate)

see www.citizensadvice.org.uk/join-us

email volunteer@citizensadvice.org.uk

B r i d g i n g c o m m u n i t i e s 15

NACAB incomeNACAB is grateful for the continuedsupport of the Department of Tradeand Industry, which provided grantsand project funding totalling£17,140,000 this year.

B r i d g i n g c o m m u n i t i e s16

Public sector grants£1,222,000 4.7%

European grants£136,000 0.5%

Government grants£17,862,000 68.9%

Other grants£4,447,000 17.2%

Trading activities£1,383,000 5.3%

Training and support£555,000 2.1%

Bank interest£252,000 1.0%

Other income£77,000 0.3%

Total £25,934,000(amounts rounded to nearest thousand)

NACAB expenditure Citizens Advice Bureaux in England, Wales and Northern Irelandare all members of NACAB which works with them to helppeople resolve their financial, employment, consumer,housing and other problems. NACAB helpsbureaux to deliver effective quality advice and isa national voice on behalf of all CAB clientsto influence changes in social policies.

NACAB’s support to bureaux includes: ● a regularly updated electronic

information system ● an accredited training programme

for volunteers● second tier specialist support on

complex advice issues ● a quality assured membership and

audit scheme● policy advice and guidance to bureau

managers● support to develop IT infrastructures

through our Citizens Connect programme● media, publicity and parliamentary support ● a bureau grants scheme

This year, NACAB provided £1,003,000 in grants direct tobureaux. Of these, 56 per cent of grants awarded wereongoing; the remainder accounted for 69 new grants. For every£1 awarded by NACAB, £2.38 continued partnership fundingwas received by bureaux.

NACAB income and expenditure figures have beenextracted from the audited accounts which wereapproved by the NACAB Trustee Board on 24th July2002 and have been submitted to the CharityCommission and delivered to the Registrar ofCompanies. The auditors opinion on the accountswas unqualified. A full copy of the NACAB financialstatements is available from the registered office.

Bureaux grants£4,176,000 14.5%

Training£2,449,000 8.5%

CABnet£7,438,000 25.9%

Information£1,209,000 4.2%

Social policy£809,000 2.8%

Support costs£1,552,000 5.4%

Management and administration£716,000 2.5%

Fundraising£194,000 0.7%

Total £28,759,000(amounts rounded to nearest thousand)

Bureaux auditand support£9,005,000 31.3%Trading

activities£1,211,0004.2%

How we are funded

NACAB and each Citizens AdviceBureau are independentregistered charities, reliant onthe support of a wide range of funders.

Bureaux fundingLocal authorities continue to deliver thebackbone of funding for individualCitizens Advice Bureaux, enabling themto continue to provide quality adviceservices in local communities. Localauthority funding has increased by£2,329,614 since the previous year,though there are significant localdifferences in levels of funding.

This funding is vital to help bureauxsecure additional specialist fundingfrom non local authority sources toextend services to harder to reachcommunities, develop new andinnovative partnership projects, extendadvice provision and help recruit,diversify and develop their workforces.More funds are also needed to providelanguage interpreters, extendtelephone and electronic advice and topurchase equipment.

B r i d g i n g c o m m u n i t i e s 17

The Friends of CABx Trust During 2001/2002, NACAB’s FundraisingDepartment raised £192,000 for The Friends ofCABx Trust, an independent grant making charity,which distributed 113 grants to bureaux for avariety of essential needs. Grants were made forequipment including computers, photocopiersand telephones, specialist IT adaptations for CABstaff and volunteers, disabled accessimprovements and to support new outreachadvice services.

The Trust celebrated its 10th birthday inJanuary, with a reception for its donors andsupporters, held at Buckingham Palace in thepresence of HRH The Princess Royal.

The Trust supports the work of bureauxthroughout the UK. Thanks to over 200 donors,it has made grants of nearly £1.5 million to morethan 650 different bureaux since it wasestablished in 1991. [p19]

Health (including Primary Care Trusts)£4,829,448 4.7%

Community Legal Service£19,242,441 18.6%

Total Local Authority£55,655,578 53.8%

RegenerationFunds

£2,396,1802.3%

Private Sector£462,922 0.4%

Charitable Trusts£2,827,348 2.7%

Other*£8,951,426 8.7%

Community Fund£9,031,223 8.7%

Total £103,396,566

* Other includes Coalfields Regeneration Trust, NACABPartnership Grants, National Assembly for Wales, EuropeanFunding, Sure Start and the Probation Service.

Supporting rural communitiesBarclays has funded a national ruraldevelopment officer and three rural

outreach workers in Powys, Cumbria and North Devon, tosupport greater access to advice for rural communities. “Barclays wished to fund projects that were sustainable andwould make a real difference to rural communities struggling toovercome the impact of foot and mouth. We are delighted to beable to show our commitment to rural communities in this way.”Angie Tymkow, Community Relationship Manager, Barclays plc

Thanks to The John Lewis Partnership, The Anglian WaterTrust Fund and a grant under The Rural Stress Action Plan2001, we secured funding to produce a self-help debt pack forrural businesses, in particular for those affected by the BSE andfoot and mouth crises.

Achieving financial literacyNACAB’s new programme to enhance therole of CABx in delivering financial literacyservices, is being supported by Prudential

plc through a donation of £750,000 over three years. Building onexisting work in over 70 CABx, grants are available for bureaux todevelop financial literacy initiatives and to support a nationalproject manager.

“This partnership forms an integral part of Prudential’s Plan forLife Learning programme, which aims to raise awareness andstandards of financial literacy and help deliver quality andaccessible financial education services to communities.”Liza Vizard, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Prudential plc

Maximising the benefits of ITAlliance and Leicester has provided£80,000 over two years to fund an intranetmoney advice discussion group pilot toreduce isolation for CAB money advisers,

help share good practice across the CAB Service and improvemoney advice services to clients.

Halifax has provided funding for a debtcounselling module to help CAB moneyadvisers deliver a more efficient service totheir clients.

‘‘Halifax recognises the importance of access to independentmoney advice, especially for people who find themselves facingfinancial difficulties. CABx provide a vital service in all ourcommunities.”Chris Sonne, Halifax Community Relations

“Without theexcellent work ofCitizens AdviceBureaux,thousands ofpeople would beworse off”The Royal Bank of Scotland Group

Help us bridge communi

B r i d g i n g c o m m u n i t i e s18

Many people would bedenied access to essentialadvice without the supportwe receive from thesecompanies, trusts and manyothers. We welcome newpartners to help usundertake projects whichenhance our services.

tiesDeveloping skills, investing in people

A scheme to enable more CAB volunteersand staff to gain vital IT skills, has beenmade possible through a donation of morethan £300,000 from Compaq, a subsidiaryof Hewlett Packard Inc. The three year IT

training bursary scheme has been welcomed by the Government’se-envoy Andrew Pinder and will be managed by The Friends ofCABx Trust.

“We are very keen to encourage people to make better use oftechnology and this scheme will provide vital training which willbe a support to the whole community.”Stephen Gill, Country General Manager, HP UK and Ireland

The Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales has given£76,000 over two years to provide management training toexisting CAB staff and volunteers, providing skills and buildingcapacity for the future.

City of London CAB and the RoyalCourts of Justice CAB both benefit

from Linklaters financial support and pro bono work. Linklatershas also provided funds towards the cost of the legal module ofCASE – an electronic client case management system. Theircontinued support for The Friends of CABx Trust also providesessential equipment to bureaux.

The John Ellerman Foundation has supported theestablishment of the first national Volunteer Development Teamat NACAB, to help bureaux to recruit, retain and supportvolunteers.

Supporting networksThe Royal Bank of Scotland Groupsponsored the CAB Service annual

conference and AGM which provides an opportunity to sharegood practice and move forward to meet new challenges.

“No other organisation handles such a diverse range of issues andproblems. Without the excellent work of Citizens Advice Bureaux,thousands of people would be worse off. We are delighted to beable to help in some way by supporting the annual conference.”Stephanie Allison, Senior Project Manager, Community InvestmentProgramme, The Royal Bank of Scotland Group

B r i d g i n g c o m m u n i t i e s 19

To find out more about how you can help us bridgecommunities, please contact Felicity Chadwick, Head of Fundraising, on 020 7833 7130 orfelicity.chadwick@nacab.org.uk

Supporting The Friends of CABx Trust The Friends of CABx Trust raises and distributesfunds as grants to bureaux in need. SupportingFriends provides a unique opportunity forcompanies and charitable trusts to invest inpeople by backing CAB services. As a flexiblegrant maker, Friends can establish special grantschemes either in response to new and urgentCAB Service priorities, or to reflect donorinterests, for example, distributing funds todesignated geographical areas or for specificcommunity needs.

Helping bureaux in needMany bureaux across the UK are havingdifficulty raising funds locally to purchaseessential equipment and to improve access toadvice – needs range from computers,telephones and photocopiers to disabledaccess improvements.

In the last year, many bureaux have beenstruggling to meet the cost of translationservices required to help asylum seekers andrefugees dispersed across the UK. Clients inareas where bureaux are already over-stretched, are often the ones most in need of amore accessible service. A major priority forFriends during the coming year is to establish anew CAB Language Support Scheme. This willprovide grants to cover interpretation andtranslation costs to support non-Englishspeaking clients and a bursary scheme to allowadvisers who speak a community language tostudy for a recognised interpretingqualification.

In addition, Friends is continually in need offunds to continue its existing over-subscribedgrants schemes for essential equipment.

For further information about The Friends of CABx Trust, please contactSusan Whitaker on 020 7833 7050 orsusan.whitaker@nacab.org.uk

B r i d g i n g c o m m u n i t i e s20

Contact us

Northern IrelandAssociation of CitizensAdvice Bureaux

11 Upper Crescent, Belfast BT7 1NT

028 9023 1120

www.niacab.org

Wales/NACAB Cymru

Unit 7, Suite 5,St Asaph Business Park,Richard Davies Road,Llanelwy LL17 0LJ

01745 586400

Ground Floor, Quebec House,Castlebridge,5-19 Cowbridge Road East,Cardiff CF11 9AB

029 2037 6750

Unit 6a, Science Park,Llanbadarn Fawr,Aberystwyth,Ceredigion SY23 3AH

01970 626105

Citizens Advice Scotland

26 George Square,Edinburgh EH8 9LD

0131 667 0156

www.cas.org.uk

The Scottish Association is aseparate body from NACAB

London ■

Tunbridge Wells ■

Chandlers Ford ■Exeter ■

■ Bristol

■ Liverpool

■ Birmingham

■ Nottingham

■ Aberystwyth

■ Leeds

Cambridge ■

Cardiff ■

Newcastle ■

Llanelwy ■

Belfast ■

Midlands

East

NorthWest

North

SouthWest

Cymru

NorthernIreland

West Field Offices

Second Floor, Quintana Gate,Bartholomew Street East,Exeter EX4 3BH

01392 425517

Tenth Floor, Tower House,Fairfax Street, Bristol BS1 3BN

0117 930 0037

North Field Offices

Third Floor, Block D,Portland House,New Bridge Street,Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 8AN

0191 233 0700

Fifth Floor, Wade House,Merrion Centre,Leeds LS2 8NG

0113 2831655

North West Field Office

Suite 193, First Floor,India Buildings,Water Street,Liverpool L2 0XQ

0151 282 9000

Midlands Field Offices

First Floor, Blenheim Court,Huntingdon Street,Nottingham NG1 3JJ

0115 941 8315

Fifth Floor, Norfolk House,Smallbrook Queensway,Birmingham B5 4LJ

0121 643 3456

South Field Offices

Units 1&2, The AnchorBusiness Centre,School Lane,Chandlers Ford,Eastleigh,Hants SO53 4UB

023 8027 3355

80-82 St John’s Road,Tunbridge Wells,Kent TN4 9PH

01892 539275

East Field Office

8 Wellington Mews,Wellington Street,Cambridge CB1 1HW

01223 356322

London Field Office

136-144 City Road,London EC1V 2RL

020 7549 0800

NACAB Central Office

Myddelton House,115-123 Pentonville Road,London N1 9LZ

020 7833 2181

www.nacab.org.ukwww.adviceguide.org.uk

Trustee Board Members Sir Graham Hart KCB ChairRosemary Edwards Deputy ChairMaurice Sharples OBE* Honorary TreasurerIan AlexanderClive Bassant (to Feb 02)Gerald Broadbent Joyce CatterickCarl CoverTed George Pippa HareJohn HunterBonny MalhotraLindsay Perks OBE (to May 02)Wendy PritchardJacqueline Robinson (to Aug 01)Marlene Ryder MBE (to Sept 01)

Richard ShawMelodie SimonsPhilip Tsamados (to Sept 01)Jane Valentine Hilary Watkins**

*Chair Performance, Review and Audit Committee

**Chair Membership and Standards Committee

NACAB has a Code of Practice on openness.The register of members' interests andregister of gifts and hospitality for TrusteeBoard Members and staff are available onrequest from the Company Secretary.

Executive DirectorsDavid Harker Chief ExecutiveShani Fancett Director of CABnetCelia Pyke-Lees Director of ServicesNicola Simpson Director of Policy

and Public AffairsHilary Wallis Director of Human

ResourcesStephen Williams Director of Finance and

Company Secretary

Company limited by guarantee

Registered number: 1436945 England

Registered office: National Association of Citizens AdviceBureaux, Myddleton House, 115-123 Pentonville Road, London N1 9LZ

Charity registration number: 279057

Friends of CABx Trust charity registration number: 1004620

Donors to NACABAlliance & Leicester plcThe Anglian Water Trust FundBarclays plc The Basic Skills AgencyBritish Gas Trading LtdCamden CouncilThe Commission for Racial EqualityCarlsberg Tetley City Parochial FoundationThe Coalfields Regeneration TrustCommunity Fund – EnglandCompaq, a subsidiary of

Hewlett Packard Inc.The Countryside AgencyDepartment for Education

and SkillsDepartment of Trade and IndustryDepartment for Transport, Local

Government and the RegionsThe Dulverton TrustEmployment Support Service for

North Yorkshire CABxEuropean CommissionEuropean Social FundThe Esmee Fairbairn FoundationThe Freemasons’

Grand CharityThe Calouste Gulbenkian

FoundationThe GUS Charitable TrustHalifax

Hampshire County CouncilInland RevenueJeyes John Lewis PartnershipKent Probation ServiceLattice FoundationLegal Services CommissionLinklatersThe Lloyds TSB Foundation for

England and WalesLondon Boroughs Grants

CommitteeLord Chancellor’s DepartmentLow Pay CommissionMarks & SpencerThe Millfield House FoundationMoney Advice TrustThe National House-Building

CouncilNorthern Foods plcThe Office of Fair TradingPennon Group plcPfizer LtdPrudential plcThe Royal Bank of Scotland GroupSecuricor The Tudor TrustWelsh AssemblyWelsh Council For

Voluntary Action (WCVA)West Yorkshire County CouncilYorkshire Electricity plc (npower)

Donors to NACAB via theMoney Advice TrustBarclays plcBuilding Societies TrustHitachi CreditLloyds TSBNorth West Water plcProvident FinancialSkipton Building SocietyYorkshire Building Society

Donors to The Friends of CABx Trust11 Kings Bench Walk ChambersAbbey National plcAshurst Morris CrispThe AssociatesAstra Zeneca UK LtdBaker & McKenzieBarclays plcBarlow Lyde & GilbertBristol Water Holdings LtdThe Camelot FoundationCentrica plcC&G Cheltenham & GloucesterClifford ChanceCMS Cameron McKennaCoca-Cola Great BritainCredit Suisse First Boston

(Europe) LtdThe Esmee Fairbairn Foundation

GlaxoSmithKline plcHerbert SmithThe Inman CharityKingsway Hotels (Manchester) LtdKPMGLinklaters Liverpool Victoria Banking ServicesMars UK LimitedMayer Brown Rowe & MawWilliam M MercerThe National Association of

Citizens Advice BureauxNational GridNorwich & Peterborough

Building SocietyPennon Group plcPortman Building SocietyPowerGen UK plcPrudential plcRoyal Bank of Scotland GroupThe Rufford FoundationScottish PowerSinger and FriedlanderStephenson HarwoodThe Sir Jules Thorn Charitable TrustThe Transport and General

Workers UnionTrinity MirrorThe Trusthouse Charitable

FoundationThe Tudor TrustThe Westminster Foundation

Thanks to our donors

National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux115-123 Pentonville RoadLondon N1 9LZ

Telephone 020 7833 2181

Fax 020 7833 4371

www.nacab.org.uk

Words: Lara YudeDesign: www.wave.coop Print: The Peak Press Company

NACAB thanks the following for their financial support during 2001/2002: