Citizens Advice Plymouth

Our Services
Local Projects 
Since December 2008, the Kay Kendall Leukaemia Fund has supported Citizens Advice Plymouth, who provide specialist advice and assistance to people across The South West Regional Health Authority who have leukaemia (and related disorders) their families and carers.

The Community Support Project team has been created initially to support local hubs so we could provide advice to local residents in those areas who presented with issues due to the pandemic.

The Food Poverty Project was set up s food aid network agencies can refer in directly for clients that need advice if they have issues that lead to them needing a food parcel. We are also looking to set up advice surgeries in the organisations that provide food parcels so we can help people in their own communities.

The Energy Redress Project works with Plymouth Energy Community and supports many of their clients that are referred to us by them for debt, money and benefit casework.

The Legal Advice Centre offers a free legal advice for litigants in person with family law, employment, housing and welfare benefits (Appeals and Tribunals only). We cannot advise clients if you are already instructing a solicitor, or represent you in court. 
This service is in partnership with University House Law Centre. We also have in-house legal advisers who can provide advice and case support.

Utilities Support
OVO Energy – We are working with OVO Energy to assess applications from OVO clients to their Fund. This will help clients manage their debts and money better in the future. Current OVO customers with debts in excess of £150 can self-refer to our assessors via the OVO Energy Fund page.

EDFE – If you are a customer of EDF Energy and need help with debt, would like to check your benefit entitlement or see if you can save money on your energy bills please click HERE to find out more.

Bulb members who may be experiencing or at risk of fuel poverty or are in financial hardship can access the Bulb project.
Advisers and caseworkers provide holistic debt advice, including income maximisation, budgeting, benefit eligibility, and energy efficiency. They can advise on eligibility, and support with applications for white goods, a one-off payment of £150 (financial assistance) or debt write-off through the Bulb Energy Fund. 

Utility Warehouse project helps customers who may be experiencing or at risk of fuel poverty or are in financial hardship.
Advisers and caseworkers provide holistic debt advice, including income maximisation, budgeting, benefit eligibility, and energy efficiency. They can advise on eligibility and support with applications for a one-off payment of £150 (financial assistance scheme) or debt write-off through the Utility Warehouse Customer Support Scheme.
To apply for support, call Utility Warehouse on 0333 777 0777.

Financial Support
Pension Wise – Pension reforms came in on the 6th April 2015, meaning that people approaching retirement have more choices about how to use their pension pots. For the first time, people will have the freedom to decide whether they buy an annuity, take a lump sum, or a mixture or both.

Citizens Advice Plymouth is one of 50 Pension Wise delivery centres providing face to face guidance across 500 locations in England and Wales which will help people to make sense of their pension choices.

Citizens Advice Plymouth has put together a guide on how to prepare for a face to face Pension Wise appointment.

Universal Credit
Citizens Advice Plymouth has launched a new service called “Help to Claim” for those who need help to apply for Universal Credit across Plymouth.

People will now be able to get support from the charity as they submit their Universal Credit application to get their first full payment.

Help will be tailored to the individual and available, face-to-face, over the phone on 0800 144 8 444 and online through webchat and advice content https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/helptoclaim/ may include assistance with the online application form or help with providing evidence like childcare costs.

Campaigns and Research
The Campaigns and Research team target problems faced by clients and potential clients in Plymouth. They also work with regional colleagues on issues facing Devon and the South West as well as participating in national campaigns and research. The team aims to identify causes of underlying problems impacting on our clients and to take action to tackle these at source.