What is Citizens Advice and what kind of help does it offer?

Updated

Citizens Advice is a free online advice service that helps people find a way forward with a wide range of problems. Its advice is organised by nation: the main site applies to England, with separate advice for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. You can search for advice directly, browse popular topics, or enter your postcode or town to find your local Citizens Advice.

What kind of help you can get

The homepage highlights practical, everyday problems rather than abstract guidance. Current popular content includes:

  • Cost of living — help with rising costs and making ends meet
  • Energy bills — grants and benefits that can help you pay them
  • Benefits — checking what benefits you can get, and extra money and help that PIP entitles you to
  • Council tax — checking if you can pay less
  • Travel — claiming compensation if your flight is delayed or cancelled
  • Immigration — how changes to immigration rules might affect you
  • Car finance — what to do if you bought a car on finance

The pattern is consistent: each topic is framed as a question you can act on ("Check if you can pay less council tax"), not just background reading.

Beyond advice: research, campaigns and volunteering

Citizens Advice is not only an advice website. It also runs policy, research and campaigns, publishing its latest campaigns and research and reporting on the impact of its advice. The service is supported by over 14,000 highly trained volunteers, and the site invites people to explore volunteer opportunities in local Citizens Advice offices — roles it describes as rewarding, challenging and fun.

How to use it

  1. Search for advice using the search box if you already know your problem.
  2. Browse popular content if you want to see the issues most people are dealing with.
  3. Find your local Citizens Advice by entering your postcode or town — useful if you need face-to-face help.
  4. Check you're reading the right nation's advice — England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales each have their own pages.

The site also accepts donations, which support the service.