Research and Campaigns
Campaigning for change in Barnet
At Citizens Advice Barnet, we seek to use our influence and experience to identify and address problems affecting local people.
We collect evidence of clients’ problems and use this to campaign for changes in policies and services. We have a key role in speaking up for clients, raising issues reported by clients, contributing to public debate and informing legislation.
The evidence we gain by helping people is used to tell policy makers and service providers about the impact of policies and advocate change, and our policy work focuses on:
- addressing poverty
- challenging discrimination
- getting a fair deal for all
- improving service delivery
- securing access to justice and advice
What we’ve achieved
Council Tax Support Scheme
Citizens Advice Barnet produced a report recommending improvements to Barnet’s Council Tax Support Scheme (CTSS) and had several discussions with key council officers and councillors. The council considered our changes but ultimately decided to reduce support for financial reasons.
However, London Borough of Barnet Council cited our joint response to the consultation on the scheme, arranged in partnership with Chipping Barnet Foodbank, as the reason for the £500,000 discretionary fund with £115,000 resources to administer it:
“The concerns raised in this response are noted and this is why we are recommending a budget for discretionary support and staff be approved alongside the change in scheme.”
While not the result we hoped for, this shows we can have an influence on council decision-making, especially when we work together.
We are currently working on another joint campaign with Chipping Barnet Foodbank on the council’s use of bailiffs.
Our Research
At Citizens Advice Barnet we also produce reports to help raise awareness and influence policy to help improve the lives of our clients. Our reports cover some of the key issues we see at Citizens Advice Barnet, including welfare, debt, employment and immigration. As a local Citizens Advice charity, we are uniquely placed to capture a wealth of data about the most vulnerable members of our community.
Recent Citizens Advice Barnet reports have covered the funding challenges for some of our projects, including disability benefits casework, employment casework and immigration and asylum casework. We include these below:
Citizens Advice Barnet in the News
As a charity we have a vested interest in the local community, and our staff and volunteers work round the clock to improve the lives of people in Barnet.
Below we include articles we have featured in recently. These highlight the amazing work of all our team, and shed light on the complex and challenging situations faced by members of the community on a daily basis.