Making a Difference
Nearly every month we circulate an advice column featuring a particularly topical subject and show how we are advising people experiencing such a problem. But what actual difference do we make to our communities?
Our Annual Impact Reports are now available on our website.
Impact Reports – Citizens Advice Torridge, North, Mid and West Devon
As well as giving information about the number of people we have helped, the number of problems they brought to us and the financial difference made to household incomes, there is information about our involvement with local communities with supporting photos and a particularly hard hitting client story which demonstrates the very real difference we make to peoples’ lives.
The headlines? In 2025-26 we helped a total of 13,621 people with 48,576 problems boosting household income by £15,000,988. We provide advice over the telephone, via email and in person either via pre-arranged appointments or through our drop-in days at local offices. These figures do not include the number of people who have managed to resolve their problems by accessing information on our website.
Impressive as this is, it isn’t enough; we are acutely aware that we have unmet demand hence we end each column with an invitation for people to volunteer with us. We are constantly exploring ways in which we can be more agile in how we work and we seek to extend our drop-in times to accommodate more people. However, we need people on the ground to achieve this. As a charity, we depend on volunteers. You don’t need special skills or experience to volunteer with us, just a desire to help people. We provide full training and ongoing support, develop existing skills, learn new ones and make new friends along the way. First step? Email recruitment@citizensadvicetnmwd.org.uk
Here are some comments from people we helped:-
“Wonderful people that really do help!”
“Very helpful and informative adviser!”
“Amazing staff! Very kind and friendly and I am very appreciative of their advice.”
Maybe you could join our team?
Volunteering as a Career Move
Whether you are looking for your first job or you are a pensioner seeking to top up your income, finding a job can be really challenging.
Undertaking unpaid work can be a good way to plug gaps in your CV and get a taste for different types of jobs. These roles usually come in the form of volunteering, work experience, or internships. If you are in receipt of welfare benefits you will need to check to see if your benefits will be affected if you take on unpaid work.
Rules around unpaid internships are complicated, so get advice on being paid less than the minimum wage before applying.
Volunteer roles are usually well defined, exposing you to specific types of work whether you are looking for office experience or something more practical like supporting people in your local community. Volunteering is also a great way to build confidence in a work environment, provide structure to your day or week and learn new skills which may be transferable to paid work. It also gives you the opportunity to brush up existing skills, like typing and general computer skills.
Citizens Advice Torridge, North, Mid & West Devon always welcomes volunteers who all get comprehensive training and ongoing support. Not all volunteers want to be advice giving; some will fill in forms which, to the uninitiated, can seem very daunting at first sight. Some volunteers take on administrative roles and the beauty of volunteering with CA TNMWD, is that there are opportunities to apply for paid positions within the charity so if you are ultimately looking for paid work, volunteering with us can be a useful stepping stone. Even if you don’t end up working in a paid position with us, when applying for jobs elsewhere, as a volunteer you are demonstrating a commitment to utilising your time effectively, a willingness to undergo training and perhaps develop new skills and whether this is is going to be your first paid job or you have retired and been out of the working environment for some time, as a volunteer, you will have been used to being in a work environment so should adapt easily. So aside from the knowledge that you are making a valuable contribution to the wellbeing of your local community, there are other benefits too!
If you would be interested in volunteering with us, take a look at our website
https://www.citizensadvicetnmwd.org.uk and contact recruitment@citizensadvicetnmwd.org.uk for more information.
News from your Local Citizens Advice
We have just finished compiling our Annual Reports for 2024-25. In them we relate our impact on local communities. They will be available before the end of May on our website and make for interesting reading. Inquiries about welfare benefits, energy, debt and housing remain key areas where people need our help. We have covered advice on all of these issues over time and shall doubtless be doing so again. However, this month I’d like to talk about another aspect of our work and ask for your help!
In-house we refer to our Research and Campaigns which roughly translates into trying to make society fairer. This is a lesser known aspect of our work but every bit as important as the advice and help we give because it enables us to put pressure on the decision makers where we see something is unfair. Our charity is highly respected and people listen to us. We also maintain relationships with our local MPs and councillors. Whilst maintaining the highest standards of confidentiality, we compile compelling data to support our causes.
We support this at both local and national levels and are very active locally, getting out and about in the community and undertaking surveys which are a vital part of this work. We recently published a report on the impact of the cost of living crisis based on our local research.
Citizens Advice Torridge, North, Mid & West Devon 2024 Living Standards Report – Rural Devon Citizen’s Advice We were also delighted when Karen Plum, our Research and Campaigns volunteer received an “Unsung Hero” award at the recent Research and Campaigns national conference. She and our Team Leader Laurence Atkinson, who heads our Research and Campaigns work, put a great deal of time and energy into this crucial aspect of our work. Which leads me to my request for help!
As part of a Devon-wide campaign we seek information from people experiencing problems with repairs in private or social rented properties. There is a simple form here https://forms.office.com/e/0gRCPqVggG and if you could complete it for us it would be really helpful. We can’t undertake to try and resolve any issues you may have but it will help us to escalate what is a very real and widespread problem. We would also like to hear from you if you do seasonal work in the area and are on means tested benefits as we are also picking this up as an issue that needs serious review for people finding it hard to make ends meet. If you can help us with this, please use the following link. campaigns@citizensadvicetnmwd.org.uk
As ever, we are looking to grow our volunteer numbers in our drive to help more people. We are running a volunteer taster session in Barnstaple on Thursday June 5th. from 10.00am – 12.00pm. I am reliably informed that cake will feature on the agenda. If you would like to attend please register here Volunteering Taster Day – Registration of Interest We would love to see you there!
Awful April
It’s been dubbed “Awful April” as increases in energy, water, broadband and council tax kick in. Increasing numbers of people are finding it harder to cover basic living expenses.
Some people qualify for benefits payments but don’t realise it. Our advisers can run a simple benefits check. Call our local AdviceLine on 0808 27 87 999 – it’s a free call.
You can access email and video advice via our website https://www.citizensadvicetnmwd.org.uk and details of our office opening hours and drop-in availability are also there. People of working age on low income may be eligible to claim, or those of State Pension age with little or no income, people who are sick or disabled and carers may still be eligible to claim so it is worth exploring the possibility.
Our last Advice Column focused on getting help from the Local Authority with council tax and they may also be able to help with energy, water bills, food or other essentials through their Household Support Fund (welfare assistance). If you have children and are on a low income or claiming certain benefits, you may qualify for free school meals, transport to school or help with the cost of uniform. It is always worth shopping around for cheaper deals on broadband, energy or considering having a water meter installed. It’s a case of trying to increase income and/or reduce outgoings.
Here at CA TNMWD, we have specially trained energy advisers who can talk to you about ways of reducing energy costs and we can provide energy vouchers to those who qualify.
When things are tight, having a budget is even more important.
Tools and calculators | MoneyHelper (https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/tools-and-calculators) has some helpful guidance and Debt and money – Citizens Advice (https://citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/) also has lots of useful links and information.
When budgeting, ‘priority’ debts i.e. rent/mortgage, Council Tax and energy bills have to come first as missing these payments can have the most serious consequences. Then review debts such as credit cards or payday loans. We have specially trained debt advisers who can help people manage debt and we are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. It is important, however, if you start to fall behind on payments, to contact the organisation or company involved as soon as you can to try and see if you can come to some kind of arrangement.
Unsurprisingly, demand for our services is increasing and accelerating as more and more people are impacted by rising costs. If you would like to help us support those people, how about volunteering with us? You don’t need to be any kind of professional specialist as we provide full training and ongoing support. You’ll not only be helping your local community, you will have an opportunity to learn new skills and make new friends. Take the first step and contact recruitment@citizensadvicetnmwd.org.uk we would love to hear from you!
Increased Council Tax
All our bills are creeping up and Council Tax increases are also anticipated. There are, however, several options to potentially reduce Council Tax bills.
If you’re an adult living alone, your bill can be reduced by 25%. Simply notify the council that you are living alone and the date that became effective. You will be entitled to the discounted rate from that time even if it was some time ago. Some people are ‘disregarded’ when calculating Council Tax. This includes under-18s, full-time students, long-term hospital patients, people with severe mental impairments and many more. Check if you can pay less council tax – Citizens Advice
If everyone in a home is disregarded the bill will be reduced by half. If everyone in a home is a student or severely mentally impaired there will be no Council Tax to pay. If you live with an adult who isn’t disregarded but who is on a low income or receives certain benefits you might be able to get a ‘second adult rebate.’ Getting a second adult rebate on your council tax – Citizens Advice
If you or someone you live with is disabled and your home has been adapted, you can ask to be placed down one band. Ask your Council about Council Tax Reduction for people on low incomes. They will ask questions about your income and circumstances; if you are eligible, they will reduce the amount you have to pay. There are also different rules that apply when you’ve reached State Pension Age. Check your State Pension age – GOV.UK
A ‘discretionary reduction’ is available whereby your council can reduce or cancel your Council Tax if you can provide evidence that you’re suffering severe hardship and can’t afford to pay your bill. If you don’t get this you can still appeal to a valuation tribunal who, if they agree with you, can order the council to reduce or cancel your bill.
Applying for Council Tax Reduction – Citizens Advice
You can always contact us on our AdviceLine, 0808 27 87 999 (free and local), or via our website www.citizensadvicetnmwd.org.uk or call in at one of our offices. Opening hours are also on our website.
If you would like to help people with problems like this do get in touch! Check out our website or contact recruitment@citizensadvicetnmwd.org.uk
More and more people are asking for our help, so we need more volunteers to try and meet demand. You will receive full training, make new friends and learn new skills; one day a week is all it takes!
Celebrating Student Volunteering Week!
People often think of volunteers as being retired professionals but at CA TNMWD we have a number of students volunteering with us. February 10th – 16th.
Student Volunteering Week is when the charity as a whole celebrates the work of its student volunteers.
Students benefit from the training they receive from us and the interaction with clients, staff and fellow volunteers helps build confidence to stand them in good stead when they enter the workplace in their chosen field. To have volunteer experience with Citizens Advice looks impressive on their CV as employers recognise the benefits of volunteering with us and it reflects well on an individual who has taken steps to widen their own experience whilst helping people in their community.
Whilst learning about the problems people have with debt, energy, housing and all the other types of problems they bring to us and seeing how we advise people is quite an eye opener for young people who are often themselves, embarking on a more independent way of life.
As a student volunteer, there is the chance to witness at first hand potential career opportunities within our charity, not only in terms of advisory work, but in the areas of marketing, IT, finance and general administration. There are often opportunities within our specialist services which cover a wide range of issues and not forgetting our advocacy work with our research and campaigns as we strive to make society fairer by addressing inequalities and injustice.
It is also worth remembering that our clients are of all ages and walks of life and it may be that a
younger client would relate better to a student volunteer. Our paid staff and volunteers have very varied backgrounds and experience and whilst we are dealing with serious problems in people’s lives, being able to help them is very satisfying and ours is a very friendly and relaxed
working atmosphere.
Have we piqued your interest? Would you like to find out more about us and the work we do?
There is a wealth of information on our website www.citizensadvicetnmwd.org.uk or you can
email recruitment@citizensadvicetnmwd.org.uk We would love to hear from you and it might just open up a whole new world for you!
If you are experiencing problems and could do with our help, you could also visit the website
which has a lot of practical guidance and useful links or you could ring our free, local AdviceLine
on 0808 27 87 999.
Welcome to our January Advice Column
Happy New Year!
Inevitably perhaps, debt and energy are the two key problems people are bringing to us. The
cost of living continues to rise, pensioners missed out on winter fuel payments they have come
to rely on and energy costs continue to rise. If you are struggling and getting into debt please
take action sooner rather than later. Our specially trained debt advisers can help you navigate
what seems a minefield and remember, our advice is confidential, professional and totally non-
judgemental. Our website has some useful links and information so check out
www.citizensadvicetnmwd.org.uk
We are also able to issue fuel vouchers please get in touch to see if you are eligible. Our
AdviceLine is a free, local number: 0808 27 87 999.
We are delighted to announce that we have new outreaches opening this year so people can
access us directly in their own area. In Crediton we are at the Age Concern office in the Lady
Mills Centre every Wednesday. Drop-in is available 9.30am – 12.00noon and afternoon
appointments are available which can be booked via our website.
We are at the Cullompton Community Centre on the 3rd. Friday of each month between 9.30am and 12.30pm. The last Friday of each month sees us at Lapford in the Ark Community Café from 10.00am – 2.00pm.
Ongoing dates have still to be confirmed at Uffculme and Hemyock however, on 17th. January we
will be at Warm Spaces on Square Corner in Uffculme between 10.30am and 3.00pm and we
will be at the Blackdown Support Group Building (next to the GP surgery) in Hemyock on 23rd
January from 10.00am – 2.00pm.
Details of all our opening hours in Bideford, Barnstaple, Okehampton, Tiverton and Tavistock as well as our other outreach offices are on our website and news of our new outreach offices can be found on social media.
Sadly, we are unable to meet demand which continues to rise as more and more people seek
our help. We have an ongoing recruitment campaign to encourage more people to come and
volunteer with us. Volunteers make new friends, learn new skills and have the satisfaction of
knowing that they are helping people in their community. If you are interested in joining us as a
volunteer, please contact recruitment@citizensadvicetnmwd.org.uk or check out our website
for more information. Maybe the New Year is an ideal time to broaden your horizons!
Welcome to our December Advice Column
The Peoples’ Champion!
We have flagged up most pre-Christmas topics; how to budget and not get carried away, being mindful of energy costs and priority payments, being aware of scams… It’s probably a safe bet to think what the main problems are going to be for people in the New Year – but perhaps not –maybe other problems will rear their heads, who knows?
Up to the end of November this year, we had helped 10,681 people with 37,067 problems resulting in an uplift in household income of £9,903,474 since 1st. April 2024. We shall continue to do what we have always done; give free, impartial, non-judgemental advice and help in total confidence to whoever needs it. We will also continue to campaign for social justice lobbying to make society fairer. The same as we have done for the past 85 years.
We are continually working to make our services more accessible, meanwhile there is a wealth of information on our website www.citizensadvicetnmwd.org.uk including our office opening hours, and links to specific areas of advice as well as employment opportunities with our
Charity. Our offices close between Christmas and New Year and whilst we will return to work on 2nd January, our offices won’t open until 4th. January.
As a charity, we need to raise funds to enable us to continue our work and as ever, we need to recruit more volunteers to help us; we are conscious of the fact that we are unable to meet demand for our services. We are participating in the Christmas Tree Festival in Barnstaple Parish Church and we shall be taking the volunteer experience as our theme so if you are in town, pop in and take a look and if you are inspired to come and join us, check out Opportunities – Rural Devon Citizen’s Advice (www.citizensadvicetnmwd.org.uk/opportunities) for more information.
If anyone is a part of a local group that might like to know more about the work that we do and ways in which we can be supported, do please email rosanna.teale@citizensadvicetnmwd.org.uk it would be lovely to hear from you. Equally, if any local organisations would like to support us by raising funds or adopting us as the charity of choice, that email address is your first port of call.
Thank you so much for the support you give us throughout the year by including our columns in your publication. Let’s enjoy the festive period in our own way and look forward to a new year that brings us the best we hope for.
November Advice Column
Citizens Advice – The People’s Champion.
People think of Citizens Advice helping people with problems, providing advice and support when they are challenged in their lives. But it doesn’t end there. A major part of our work concerns Social Policy; raising awareness of injustices in society with the people positioned to effect change to make society fairer. Because (with our Clients’ consent), we carefully document the problems, contributing factors, actions taken and the outcomes, we have substantial evidence to support our campaigns.
As we help people work through their problems and resolve them, we see patterns emerging. We also conduct surveys and analyse the findings, presenting them to influential people who can effect change.
In our monthly advice columns, we focus on a particular topic, outline the advice we can give pointing people in the direction of further sources of help and information if needed. This month, we present a broader picture drawing your attention to our Living Standards Report, produced after two years of research with surveys undertaken at local events we have attended. It focuses on the very real issues that constitute what has become known generally as ‘the cost of living crisis.’
This link will take you to that report which doesn’t just cite statistics, but makes them meaningful, easily understandable and supported by real client stories whose identities have been protected.
We have just completed our impact reports detailing our achievements between April and September this year and the challenges we face as we continue to help people in our communities. The above link is included in these reports which have been sent to each of the district councillors in Torridge, North, Mid and West Devon (150), as well as the Council Officers. It will go to all our local MPs and the link will be included in our next quarterly newsletter, circulated to other interested parties and stakeholders.
Reading our Living Standards Report, you will get a flavour of the variety of problems people bring to us and hopefully get a broader picture of our work. People can access us in many ways all of which are detailed on our website where people can also find useful links to help them.
www.citizensadvicetnmwd.org.uk
Advice Column October 2024
To continue our work, we constantly need to recruit volunteers. We provide full training and ongoing support. If you would be interested in getting involved, please take the first step and contact recruitment@citizensadvicetnmwd.org.uk
We would love to hear from you!
