Citizens Advice Sheffield

Who we are

Citizens Advice Sheffield is Sheffield’s leading provider of advice and advocacy services. We helped over 20,000 people in Sheffield last year, including targeted support for the most vulnerable groups in the community.

Our services are free, accessible, confidential, and independent.

What we do

We empower people to find the tools and resources they need to take the next steps to solve their problems. Where needed, we step in to advocate for our clients to ensure that their rights are upheld.

With almost 50 different services covering a range of needs and 27 community outreaches across the city, our impact is huge.

Our advisers help people with issues such as income maximisation, debt management, immigration, employment rights, and improvements to health and wellbeing - to name a few.

As part of the Law Centres Network, we also deliver legal services in housing (Legal Aid).

We are the lead providers of Sheffield Advocacy Hub, one of the largest advocacy providers in the country. Every year, thousands of people access our service for independent advocacy. Our advocates work with clients to ensure that their voices and wishes are listened to and are held at the centre of decision-making.

Your support

As an independent charity, we rely on the generous support of people like you to help us make a difference for our clients.

We do this by supporting our clients with the problems they face, and campaigning to improve the policies and practices that affect people's lives.

John's story

John* is a pensioner with rheumatoid arthritis. He lives with his wife and relies on her for help as he struggles to walk moderate distances. With a progressive disease, he finds day-to-day life increasingly difficult.

John had been getting Disability Living Allowance (DLA) which included the use of a Motability car. However, when he converted to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) his claim was declined.

He submitted a mandatory reconsideration but this was unsuccessful.

John came to Citizens Advice Sheffield for help appealing this decision. He has severe mobility problems and he believed that the DWP failed to recognise this.

Our volunteer helped John to submit his appeal.

Although John had applied for PIP in October 2019, he didn’t receive the original decision for 6 months. The appeal stage also faced several delays and didn’t go to hearing until April 2021. As a result, John and his wife had gone 18 months without any DLA or PIP income and his Motability car had been taken away.

“The task before the tribunal was then to consider the state of the client’s disabilities on the date of the original assessment almost 18 months before, and to do this over the phone without seeing the client. The evidence I had submitted would be crucial in assisting the tribunal to come to their decision. “

John was awarded the mobility component as an outcome of the appeal and was satisfied with the result. As he is now past retirement age, his only alternative for a new claim would have been Attendance Allowance which doesn’t include a mobility component. He now has the option of applying for a review of his daily living if his condition further deteriorates.

*name changed for anonymity.