"The Citizens Advice Bureau Service offers free, confidential, impartial and independent advice. From its origins in 1939 as an emergency service during World War II, it has evolved into a professional national agency.

Every Citizens Advice Bureau is a registered charity reliant on volunteers. Citizens Advice Bureaux help solve nearly six million new problems every year which are central to people's lives, including debt and consumer issues, benefits, housing, legal matters, employment, and immigration. Advisers can help fill out forms, write letters, negotiate with creditors and represent clients at court or tribunal.

Many bureaux provide specialist advice, often in partnership with other agencies such as solicitors and the probation service. The government-funded National Homelessness Advice Service is a joint project between Citizens Advice and Shelter which complements Citizens Advice services through provision of specialist support on homelessness and housing issues to CAB advisers.

As well as giving advice, the Citizens Advice 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. You can find out more about CAB social policy work on this website."

(From the C.A.B. website at http://www.nacab.org.uk).