What We Do
We aim to support the residents of Staffordshire North and Stoke-on-Trent with any issues that may arise.
We have outlined the services we offer below:
Benefits Team: The Welfare Benefits team has several different projects embedded within it, they assist clients with complex benefit applications, Mandatory Reconsiderations, Appeals and Appeals to the Upper Tribunal, helping to shape how the legislation is interpreted by the Commissioners.
Generalist Team: Offering full advice on Benefits, Employment, Housing options and disrepair, Consumer issues, Immigration (up to level one), disputed debts, family and relationship issues and legal options such as small claims & probate.
Help To Claim: Help to Claim (also known as the Future Support Offer) is delivered by local Citizens Advice in England and Wales.
It is a National Telephone and Webchat advice service (open 8 – 6 Monday to Friday). Available to anyone who has not had a first correct payment of Universal Credit.
Housing Team: The Specialist Housing Team offer legal advice and assistance with Housing issues, including being present at the court desk to advise clients on their hearing dates.
Immigration Team: Funded by the Legal Aid agency and our Immigration Fee paying Service, assisting with Asylum claims and appeals. Our advisors are regulated to provide immigration advice.
Refugee and Asylum Team (RAST): RAST support asylum seekers, refused asylum seekers and new refugees based in the North Staffordshire and Stoke locality. They offer advice, assistance, and advocacy on a plethora of issues relating to their asylum support issues, e.g. non-payment of support, delays and refusals and accommodation problems
Into Schools Project: This project is funded by Children in Need. Asylum Seeking families are referred to Into Schools on arrival to Stoke (Via NHS Asylum and Refugee Team, the hotels or via Citizens Advice. We make initial contact and undertakes a holistic assessment of the family’s needs – looking at accommodation, ensuring financial support is in place and that they have a GP/ Solicitor, etc. We assess the children’s needs for schooling and support – including
Special Educational Needs, health and religious requirements. Then assist with applications for school/college/nursery places (and appeals against refusals).
Getting help
How we will support you
- When you first contact us we will ask you some questions during a fairly short initial assessment to find out what it is you need help with and whether or not we are the best place to help you, this will either be over the phone or face to face.
- We will give you some information or signpost you to another organisation, which we have agreed is what you need to be able to sort the problem out for yourself.
- We may give you some short, specific advice about your query, especially if it is a reasonably straightforward issue.
- We may need to refer you for a longer appointment with another adviser. This will depend on the urgency of your problem and the availability of an appointment.
- We may agree that there is another organisation who can provide the help you need better than we can. For example you may need to see a solicitor or a specialist we don’t have. There may be helplines, such as the Citizens Advice consumer adviceline, who are better placed to help.
- We may need to offer a casework service for certain issues. This will involve your case being passed to a specific caseworker who will be responsible for it and be the person who contacts you.
How can we help you?
If you need support around any issue please get in contact. We offer free, confidential advice and practical support.
Contact us
Contact us on: 0808 278 78 76
Lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Lines are closed on bank holidays.
Calls from mobiles and landlines are free.
You can also email us at: advice@casns.org.uk
Consumer
Our consumer team consists of two departments; General Consumer and Energy. We are here to support you whether you are a business or private individual and can help with any issues you may face relating to goods, services or energy.
Debt
Our debt team provides advice to clients from across the whole of England. This is primarily done through a telephone service, but we also offer web chat and emails. Our team take inbound calls each day; giving some discreet one-off advice, as well as continuing with any ongoing casework needed for more complex cases.
Money Advice
We are a friendly, experienced team of debt advisors. All our advisors have been trained in line with the Money and Pensions Service’s requirements, so you can be sure that the advice you receive will be of high quality, impartial and tailored to your circumstances.
Outreach
We offer multiple outreach services to support you around Staffordshire North and Stoke-on-Trent, to ensure wherever you are you can receive support.
"Since using your service, I have felt so much better in myself … I didn’t know where else to go, now my issue is totally resolved. It’s like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.”
Service User
The guy I spoke to was called Chris he was very thorough and listened to my problems with empathy, he gave me some information immediately but said he would check out some further advice and call me back, he rang me back within the hour and took the time to convey the information and explained things very well.
Thank you.
Telephone User
"I am very happy with the outcome I have managed to get from the trader and wanted to thank all involved."
Consumer User
"It's really wonderful you have someone to turn to, as I wouldn't pursue things without Citizens Advice help. Everything is difficult to do these days (forms/paperwork, especially). It is great to be seen by a friendly face and receive the help and information I need."
Service User
"I found the whole process of seeking advice to be simple and stress-free. The staff were pleasant and informative."