Are the Citizens Advice Bureau crap...

pulliptears

passatrider wrote: »

If you are disgruntled with the service that you have received then why not Volunteer for them yourself?

Just because a service is provided for free does not mean it shouldn't be provided correctly.

Mancunian

Sorry all, my main point was the incompetence of the handling of the situation ie. Made to sit 90 mins when they had my address at the start, very basic admin functions.

The other bits were just moans!

Happy New Year!

paddyrg

Sorry, I may have come across slightly harshly! I do agree it would have been *much better* for them to see you quicker, but there is a massive difference between bureaux, and they're all trying against the odds to keep going. I went to one in Birmingham years back that opened 3.5 days a week, but could not afford heating and lights - and one phone shared between the whole place!

Some bureaux get a bit of support from local councils who see them as a valuable service, it sounds like your council doesn't, and seeing as the branch donations in deprived areas add up to less than the rent/leccy, they're rather stuck. If you happen to know any local businesses that could sponsor a local branch with free rent/leccy/whatever I'm sure they would love to reopen and help. Or if you can convince the council to help, it's small change really, relatively!

Such a sad state of affairs all round :-(

concerned43

I am shocked to read about your experience. As a CAB employee I would never turn anyone away regardless of what postcode they are from. My branch is funded by the council and various charities but others' are not so lucky and have to rely on public donations.
Each advisor HAS TO adhere to the advice on their IT 'Advice system' and we are not allowed to give our personal spin on things - all bureau's are audited and all advice given must be coded via the 'advice system'.
Im sorry you have had a bad experience - you can complain to the CAB manager (who will be a paid employee).

Mancunian

Thanks for the info, yup Manchester Council enough said, top boys making more than the Prime Minister and making a lovely glass town hall extension!!?? . The one that refused me was trafford council Altricham, oh well.

Do u have any links to them, because with more people online they should set something up like this with lots of homeworking official admins that just tax deductable get expenses etc.

Mancunian

sorry concerned43, was answering paddy but was rambling! haha

many thanks for your comments and sorry for the (with hindsite) bad title - I should work for the tabloids - yuck! At least it caused a roaring debate.

we need Martin on the case!

pmduk

Perhaps you should be complaining to whoever pulled the funding on your local branch? Check here for the branches within Manchester

tcr_3

Only in this country could people who volunteer their own spare time, for little if any remuneration, get a total slagging off. Walk the bleedin walk if you're so much better than them. Better still, solve your own problems.

Kimitatsu

Have you tried posting your query on the boards here? There are many people who work for statutory agencies as well as the CAB on here and are more than happy to provide relevant information as well as the information to back it up.

The CAB is a charity, it gets no central government funding and throughout the country as local governments are being squeezed so they pass the cuts on down the line. If there is no local office to you then there should be a local number for you to call to get advice.

I am horrified that you should have been turned away, and can only suggest that you email the bureau manager and point out that they had your address from the start. They may be able to answer your query by email if you dont feel comfortable putting it out on a public board.

Annabee

Have given up on CAB as the last time I tried to get their advice I dropped the kids off at primary school in the morning, went straight to the CAB office and waited..... and waited... and then it was time to pick the kids up again after a full day at school.

Have actually seen one of their advisors 4 times in my life (3 times for me, once supporting a friend) and only one of the advisors gave out useful information. The others knew very little - they were coming out with stuff that I KNEW was completley wrong. Very amateurish. I know they are volunteers, but do they not get any training?

Maybe its just my town.