Looking ahead, we are taking conversations forward across the service to help shape our business. We focus on finding ways to ensure that we offer a truly multi-channel, seamless service to customers.
Advice
Advocacy
How we help
VIA OUR
CONSUMER SERVICE
MONEY ADVICE WITH
THROUGH THE WITNESS SERVICE
This is in addition to the 25 million visits to our website – where people have viewed our advice pages 34 million times*. 4 out of 5 clients say our help improved their lives in other ways, such as reducing their stress, improving their physical health or increasing their finances.
Our impact
In 2017/18 we saved government and public services £435 million and we estimate our total social and economic value to society was £2.6 billion. Our wider social value can also be seen in the way we bring local people together through our army of volunteers, our support for diverse communities and our national network.
435 million
2.6 billion
This year we also started offering our Customer Service – which Citizens Advice has managed since 2012 – through 7 delivery centers run by the local Citizens Advice network. We are now developing and improving Customer Service further and are currently focusing on five key areas: piloting online chat, finding the fastest solution for customers through referrals and flagging, looking at service demand and how how do we keep this up.
The power of our network
This was the first year that our new Membership Agreement, the governance framework for our service, was in effect.
We improved how we operate
This means that thousands of people across England and Wales who volunteer every day to help people in their communities in real need are spending less time writing their notes after advising a client. We are also using our data from Casebook in more sophisticated ways to demonstrate our impact to our funders.
Building Casebook
15 minutes
They kept coming in, but I couldn't always understand what they were telling me - what was most important and when. She showed me how to submit my letters by company and in month order.
Raymond’s story
Citizens Advice have helped me so much this
We achieved change for our clients and consumers
Working in Parliament
Solving problems at the root
Creating change
We also used the media and our relationships with policymakers to create change for our clients and consumers. This included
Our adviser told us that I was entitled to pension
I didn't know if Citizens Advice could help me but I was desperate so I went to see. Our adviser told us I was eligible for pension credit and helped me apply for it.
Mary’s story
We continued to provide help and advice online through chat, email and messaging services, delivering digital advice on the most sought-after topics while responding quickly to emerging issues. We provide online advice in plain English used by chat, email and messaging services on the most sought-after topics and emerging issues.
Finding ways to
This year we continued a major project to improve digital advice and tools to help our staff and volunteers advise clients. We've developed new improved advice on housing, benefits and energy and launched a tool to help hundreds of thousands of people check their universal credit.
We've made our tips more accessible by designing and testing new features and making them easier to read for blind and partially sighted users, and by introducing tips in British Sign Language. The counselor told me there was a digital drop in at my local library where they could help me fill out these forms online.
Paul’s story
I really didn't feel confident that I was going to get it right and knew that if it wasn't done properly there would be a delay in getting the financial help I needed.
The adviser told me that
There are six formal trustee board meetings each year, as well as other meetings and events for trustees to shape the strategic direction of the organization and develop as a team.
Our structure, governance and
Warren Buckley (Deputy Chairman) is Global Head of Contact Centers for HSBC and Chairman of the Business Disability Forum, a charity working with the disabled community and businesses. Andrew Stephenson is Group People Director at Lookers, one of the UK's leading automotive trade groups. She received the prestigious Leading Wales Women in Leadership award and the CIPFA Wales Public Finance Professional of the year award.
Our trustees
The standing financial instructions form the basis for the delegation of financial functions by the Citizens Advice trustee board to staff. Serves as a sounding board for the Chairman of the Trustee Board in carrying out his responsibilities. Will joined the board on August 22, 2017 and is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee.
Delegation of duties
This includes planning the board's agendas, and shaping and agreeing Mark Haysom is a writer. Rolande Anderson has had an extensive senior career in government and now works as an independent non-executive officer. Anne Stephenson (Deputy Chair) retired in 2010 from a 30 year career in the public service in Wales.
Trustee committees
It lists matters reserved for the board and areas that can be delegated to the executive team. He has served on the boards of a number of charities dedicated to overcoming poverty and disadvantage and was Chairman of Phoenix Futures.
Working as one service
Recruitment, induction and training of national
They also visit the local Citizens Advice Bureau to gain a better understanding of the service and the vital work the local Citizens Advice Bureau does.
Statement of trustees’
Public benefit
Executive team
Our people
Over 800 staff work across our different services, membership support and corporate functions
Risk and internal controls
Technology and business transformation
Service delivery
Risks and uncertainties
Mitigation and management
Protecting our data
Sustainable funding
Pension liability
Income
This was due to fewer one-off restricted energy grants received, but otherwise funding sources were very similar to the previous year. Other significant restricted income streams included £15.1m) from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy for our consumer work, £11.6m) from the Department of Justice for witness services and £5.3m) from the Welsh Government . The most important cause of this decrease was inheritance income, where there was a large receipt in the previous year.
Financial review
The majority of our limited funding is allocated through annual funding agreements, which creates a challenge for our long-term funding and investment decisions. In the coming year, we will focus on maintaining some key funding streams, including money advice and witness services, while continuing to look for ways to diversify our income so that we can continue to meet our charitable goals and expand and improve our services to clients . The most significant unrestricted funding continued to be that provided by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to support our core member services.
Expenditure
This represents the majority of our expenditure (£43.0 million, which corresponds to the decrease in income). The limited deficit for the year (£3.4m million) reflects energy funding recognized as revenue in previous years but spent in 2017/2018. This year's balance reduction reflects the reduction in future annual payments by one year, and a small change in the discount rate applied.
Remuneration policy
This represents the present value of the agreed payments to the closed pension scheme over the remaining repayment period to December 2033. Money Advice Service for the provision of face-to-face debt advice in England and Wales and for the provision of money advice in Wales. Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for the provision of pensions guidance through Pension Wise.
Reserves policy
Citizens Advice for development opportunities that improve our service to customers (including piloting or testing new ways of meeting needs or reaching more people) or as a result of National Citizens Advice funding awards for specific services which are then passed on to the Network for delivery. The other employers in this scheme are a small number of local Citizens Advice offices in London. Pensions This represents the present value of Citizens Advice's share of the agreed payments to the closed pension scheme over the remaining repayment period until December 2033.
Investments
This movement primarily relates to changes in the actuarial assumptions for the scheme's obligations as a whole. We remain committed to fulfilling our obligations in relation to the scheme and work closely with the pension scheme's board and its advisers. In line with this, the pension scheme's board has this year adopted a number of mitigating measures to help improve the position.
Going concern
Approval
Our funders
All independent local Citizens Advice are members of the national Citizens Advice and there are no other full members. Citizens Advice is governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association as amended in October 2000, September 2009 and September 2010. The charity has an active trading subsidiary, Citizens Advice Limited (formerly Advice Services Information Limited).
Legal and
It is incorporated in the United Kingdom and the registered office of the charity is in England.
Advisers
Financial
This report is made solely to the charity's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our responsibilities in terms of those standards are further described in the Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether there is a material misstatement in the financial statements or a material misstatement of the other information.
Consolidated statement of financial activities
Consolidated statement of cash flows
Accounting policies a) Accounting convention
The annual accounts have been prepared in accordance with Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charitable organizations that prepare their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in Great Britain and Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2015) - ( Charities SORP (FRS 102)), Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Companies Act 2006. Assets and liabilities are initially recognized at historical cost or transaction value, unless otherwise specified in the relevant accounting policy note(s). . The most significant accounting policies that have been applied consistently, unless otherwise stated, are set out below:
Donations and legacies
Information regarding directors and employees
Aggregate emoluments paid to executive directors in the financial year
The cost of earnings for the group and the charity of key management, which is considered to be the executive board, was. Pension contributions for the central managers in the scheme are paid at the same rate as for all employees.
Allowance payments were made to local Citizens Advice members in the financial year as follows: . a) Grants to members of local citizens' councils.
- Support cost breakdown by activity Support costs are allocated across activities
- Corporation tax
- Fixed assets – intangible assets The fixed assets of Citizens Advice are the
- Debtors
- Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
- Cash at bank and in hand Cash and fixed term deposits valued at
- Provisions
- Statement of funds (continued) Restricted funds represents that funding
- Analysis of net assets between funds
- Pension scheme
- Company limited by guarantee Citizens Advice is a registered charity and a
The value of the shares held in Citizens Advice Limited is £2 being two ordinary shares of £1 each representing 100% of the issued share capital. The pension provision at 31 March 2018 was £21.0m) and represents the discounted liability of Citizens Advice's defined benefit pension scheme. Citizens Advice (the "Primary Employer") operates a defined benefit scheme (the "Plan") in the United Kingdom which provides members with both retirement and death pensions.
No charges were made during the year for any expenses incurred by Citizens Advice on behalf of Citizens Advice International. All local Citizens Advices are members of Citizens Advice and there are no other members.
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