A brief history and introduction to the work of the Citizens Advice Bureau

The Citizens Advice Bureau Service offers free, independent and confidential advice.

Approximately, five and a half million people seek help from Citizens Advice Bureaux every year.

It 1999 the Service celebrated its Diamond Jubilee. From its origins in 1939 as an emergency service during World War II, it has evolved into a respected professional national agency. Services in our area started in Wilmslow in 1939 and Macclesfield in 1940.

As well as giving advice, the CAB Service uses its bank of client evidence to find out where local and national services and policies should change. It has built a strong reputation for independent analysis. Each bureau belongs to the national Citizens Advice organisation, which sets standards for advice, training, equal opportunities and accessibility. Citizens Advice also co-ordinates national social policy, media, publicity and parliamentary work.

There are approximately 700 Citizens Advice Bureaux in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each one is an independent charity, relying on funding from the local authority and from local business, charitable trusts and individual donations.

There are now more than 30,000 people working in the Service. Approximately ninety per cent are volunteers - including trained advisers, administrators and Management Committee members.

Through what is referred to as Campaigning for Change, or sometimes Social Policy, the CAB as a service collates information gained in the course of advice sessions and uses this to attempt to change national and local policies to ensure a fairer deal for all.

As well as general advice Macclesfield Wilmslow and District CAB currently holds a contract with the Legal Services Commission to provide specialist case work in welfare benefits and money advice. It also does specialist case work in employment and housing. The bureau holds a Community Legal Services Quality Mark.

Further information can be obtained from the Citizens Advice web site.

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