Portsmouth Citizens Advice Bureau is part of a major national campaigning organisation – Citizens Advice.

Our client's experience adds up to a huge wealth of information about problems people experience. We work proactively to prevent similar problems happening to others.

We use this evidence to highlight the effects that policies have on real people in the real world and to suggest where improvements can be made to the policies and services of national and local government and businesses. We aim to stop problems at their source, using the direct experience of the communities that Citizens Advice Bureaux serve.

The CAB Service is respected for its impartiality and independent analysis, and is listened to at all levels of government. Councillors, MPs, AMs and Ministers all consult the CAB Service on a wide range of issues. This enable us to effectively campaign for social justice and get laws and policies changed for the better.
Recent National Campaigns have focused on issues as diverse as:

• Maternity and parental rights
• Charges for health care
• School uniform costs
• Disability Discrimination
• Support for asylum seekers
• Improving financial literacy

Social policy is the set of rules and principles that shape the services and benefits that people rely on. Social policy has a major influence over the lives of Citizens Advice Bureau clients.

These rules and principles are evident in legislation, regulations, codes of practice, other administrative guidelines and policies of service providers. Social policy is less visible when the principles are not written down or otherwise made explicit. This is often the case in the delivery or administration of services.

Some policies affecting CAB clients will be national, such as social security, employment and immigration. Many will be national but administered according to local policies and practices such as housing benefit, community care, housing, health and education.