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Every day, we help around 100 people in our community because they’re stuck and don’t know they’re rights. More and more people are coming to us in desperate situations because of the cost of living crisis – unable to pay their bills or feed their families and falling deeper into debt.
Our expert advisers are here to help everyone in Barnet to find a way forward. We enable people to access the support they need, such as foodbank vouchers, fuel vouchers, benefits, cost of living grants, and other local services; manage their debts; uphold their rights with their employer or landlord; and regain control of their lives.
Citizens Advice Barnet is an independently registered local charity. By donating to us, you will help people in our community, like Michaela. Together, we can give people in Barnet the expert advice they need to find a way forward. Thank you.
Michaela's Story
Your donation enables us to help people in our community like Michaela, who came to us because, despite working six days a week, she was struggling to pay her bills and especially her rent.
“I work very hard every day to pay for my bills – working six days a week just to cover them. I was living hand-to-mouth. I knew I needed some help.
“I phoned Citizens Advice Barnet and got an appointment with Liliana. She told me I qualify for UC (Universal Credit) and helped me apply. But when I heard back, they said I qualified for UC but not the housing element, so I should apply for housing benefit. When I applied for housing benefit they said I don’t qualify and I should apply for UC. I was just moving round in circles!
“I remembered that Liliana had said if I need any more help I can come back to Citizens Advice Barnet, so I called them again and got an appointment with Susan.
“Susan was really, really helpful. She helped me write an entry on my UC journal, asking them to reconsider their decision not to award me the housing element and explaining why I qualified for it.
“I just got the reply that they’d underpaid me and are going to send the housing element straight to my landlord from now on, and pay me the underpayment.”
Michaela received £293 to cover the underpayment, and £700 is paid to her landlord, every month, to cover her rent.
“Without Citizens Advice Barnet, I wouldn’t have any money and I wouldn’t know how to go through the right channels. They’ve been very, very, very, very helpful.”
Citizens Advice Barnet is a local charity, completely independent of the council and financially independent of the national Citizens Advice charity. It is only thanks to the support of people like you that we’re able to be here for local people, like Michaela, who are stuck and don’t know their rights. Together, we can give people in Barnet the expert advice they need to find a way forward.
Thank you.