What is Social Policy?
Citizen Advice’s Social Policy is a process by which evidence is collected to influence the law and policy makers together with service providers both locally and nationally and thereby bring about policy change. This evidence is collected from the clients’ information covering their experiences and problems. This evidence is then reported to the regional office without identification, but with a client’s profile as to age, race, sexuality, language ability, income, health etc., together with the impact on the client and his/her family. Such evidence will be used when contacting other outside bodies and individuals such as Government Policy Committees and MPs. Local bureaux can used it at liaison meetings with Local Government departments, councillors and other outside bodies.
Campaigning is often used to highlight to the public in general a specific high profile problem, an example of which is the rent deposit scheme.
Go to Citizens Advice campaign pages for further details.
Click here for details of a round up of the impact of Citizens Advice social policy work 
.
Our Campaigns
The Citizens Advice Fair Welfare campaign is calling for a just, efficient welfare benefits and tax credits system. It is a broad campaign incorporating several separate objectives for change.
For Citizens Advice, a ‘fair welfare’ system would mean:
- Benefits and Tax credits act as a safety net to prevent anyone in the UK living in poverty
- There is transparency and flexibility in the system, so that everyone can understand what they’re entitled to and how to claim it
- There is good decision-making and administration within the system to ensure people get the money they’re entitled to quickly and efficiently
- People are supported to move into appropriate work, and the system makes work pay
- More people receive the benefits and tax credits to which they are entitled
- Housing benefit helps give everyone access to affordable, secure homes
- Unnecessary tax credit overpayment debt is written off
- The social fund is accessible to all who need it
For more details, you can visit: http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/fairwelfare.
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The Citizens Advice Give Us a Break campaign is calling for a Fair Employment Agency fit for the 21st Century to protect vulnerable workers from rogue employers.
Find out more by going to Give us a break: Give Us A Break .
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Citizens Advice is playing a leading role in Justice for All, a campaign to ensure everyone is treated fairly under the law, no matter who they are, how much money they have or where they live.
Free, independent advice and representation on legal matters is essential to achieve justice for all.
Many people will be cut off from the help they need as funding for Citizens Advice Bureaux, Law Centres and other independent advice agencies are being cut at the same time.
Over half a million people will lose out on advice through cuts to legal aid alone.
Find out more by going to : Justice For All .
or to join campaign: www.justice-for-all.org.uk .
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Scams and frauds cost people millions every year, causing misery and distress. They take many forms and change frequently,
as scammers find new ways to defraud people. People can lose their life savings, find themselves with crippling debts.
Help us to campaign to combat scams, tell us which scams you are most worried about.
We aim to build on this by working with local Trading Standards teams and other partners to combat scams locally.
Find out more about our Spot the scam campaign please click on: Spot the Scam .
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This page was last updated on 20/9/11.
