About us
Who we are
Citizens Advice York is an independent local charity affiliated with the national Citizens Advice, dedicated to providing free, confidential, and impartial support to people facing various challenges. We offer guidance on a wide range of issues, including debt, welfare benefits, employment and housing. Beyond advice, we provide practical assistance like completing complex benefits applications, helping clients appeal decisions, drafting letters, and negotiating with third parties such as landlords and creditors. Support is accessible through drop-in sessions in Central York, by telephone face to face appointments, as well as several outreach sessions around York, ensuring we reach those who need us most.
“They were a lifeline when I didn’t know where else to turn. They listened to me without judgment, explained my options clearly, and helped me feel in control of my situation again. I can’t thank them enough for the difference they made in my life”
We are an independent local charity affiliated with the national organisation Citizens Advice. We have 50+ volunteers (around 80% of our team), supported by a small professional staff team who run the organisation and provide essential training and supervision.
During 2023/24 we have focussed on the complex and painful problems caused by inflation,
by steep rises in energy costs, and by wider cost of living and equality issues. As demand
for our services has continued to grow we have made every effort to ensure that people in
York can turn to CAY for free informed, impartial and independent advice, whatever their
circumstances and problems, whenever they need us.
The advice we provide can make a huge difference to people’s lives, especially in these
times of serious need, difficulty and uncertainty. In 2023/24 CAY helped over 7,300 people
with nearly 17,000 issues. We also helped our clients claim almost £2m of previously
unclaimed benefits or tax credits and manage or write off debts of almost £1.7 million.
Annual Report and Financial Statements 2023-24
Latest Annual General Meeting
Our 2024 AGM was held on 24 October 2024.
For our 2024 AGM the keynote speaker was Professor Rachel Wicaksono (Head of the School of Education, Language and Psychology at York St John University) on the topic:
‘The stories our clients tell us…’: Perspectives for CAY
on conversations with its diverse clients
CAY AGM October 2024 keynote speech slides
What our volunteers say
Have a look at what our volunteers say about us. This short video was made for us by students at the University of York: