Our Projects
Money Advice Project
In addition to offering advice and assistance to people currently experiencing unmanageable debts, we also undertake preventative work to help people avoid getting into a position of having unmanageable debt.
Ethnic Minority Advice Project
Citizens Advice delivers a dedicated advice service to our Ethnic Minority communities in a number of languages; ensuring no-one is disenfranchised from using our services.
Universal Credit – Help to Claim
We are currently funded by the Department for Work & Pensions to assist South Tyneside residents to make a new on-line claim to Universal Credit and full advice and assistance is given.
For assistance with Universal Credit help to claim please call 0800 144 8444 between 8:00am – 6:00pm.
HMRC Project
We are currently funded by HMRC to assist their customers with problems or queries they may have, this includes Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Child Benefit, National Insurance contributions and Taxes.
Welfare Benefit Project
We currently employ Welfare Benefit Specialist Caseworkers who can assist you with all your Benefit problems and enquiries. This includes full Benefit checks to ensure you are receiving your full household entitlement, completing the relevant application forms right through to Mandatory Reconsiderations and appeals. Each week we lodge around 20 challenges to the Department for Work & Pensions and have around 850 live cases at any one time.
Appeal & Representation Project
We currently have a Representing Appeals Officer to represent our clients at all Social Security Appeal Tribunals. This service continues to be in great demand and we are always booked up several months in advance. We now represent at 82% of all Social Security Appeal Tribunals in South Tyneside with a success rate of 80%, which is far higher than the national average. Unfortunately, due to the sheer volume of appeals in South Tyneside the waiting times to have your appeal heard by the Tribunal is now over 52 weeks. In a recent survey 46% of our clients stated they would not appeal or attend a Tribunal without our assistance.
