Shepway Citizens Advice Bureau

How We Can Help


Get Advice Contents

Listed below you will find some of the most common problems that people bring to us. We are able to help with all of these and with many more besides.

Advice Categories

Benefits

If you are unsure about your entitlement to benefits we can advise you.

We can help with unemployment benefits and income support, housing benefits, the social fund, tax credits, disability benefit and incapacity benefit and jobseekers allowance.

We also have information on the current social security benefits rates.

We can give practical help by helping you to work out your entitlement to benefits, help you fill in the appropriate forms, write review and appeal letters.
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Debt

We can advise you on all aspects of debt and the course of action open to you.

We can help with preparing a budget statement, negotiation with creditors and representation at county court repossession hearings.

We press for improvements in how people in debt are treated by creditors by using our knowledge of how people are affected by current rules.
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Consumer Issues

If you are unsure about your consumer rights we can advise you and help you to decide what to do next.

We can also give you practical help by negotiating with shops and traders, help you to write letters, phone or fax companies on your behalf, help you with forms, help you with small claims procedures at the county court.
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Housing

We can advise you on all aspects of housing including: rights and responsibilities of landlords and tenants, tenancies, housing benefit, rent problems, including establishing 'fair rents', advice on eviction and problems with neighbours.
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Employment

If you are unsure about your employment rights at we can advise you according to your written contract.

If you don't have a written contract we can advise you about your statutory rights including the minimum wage and holiday pay. We can give advice about benefits or tax credits you are entitled to when in work.

We can also advise on race and sex discrimination at work.

We can give you practical help by helping you make a claim for unpaid wages, checking redundancy payments are correct, advising on changes to terms and conditions, advising on your employee's individual rights and identifying possible claims for unfair dismissal.

If necessary we can help take a claim to an employment tribunal and represent you free of charge.
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Legal System

We can help you gain access to justice, advise you on your entitlements under the community legal service, pursue compensation for accidents and injuries and give advice and guidance about going to court.

If necessary, we can make an appointment with a legal representative.
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Tax

We can give advice on tax problems, including income tax, tax credits, inheritance tax and council tax.
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Immigration

We can give advice on many aspects of immigration such as: visitor visas, fiance(e)/spouse visas, student visas, settlement visas, work permits, immigration status, welfare benefits, asylum seekers and refugees.
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Family

We can advise you on all aspects regarding the family, including: separation and divorce, maintenance and child support, parents rights and responsibilities, birth and adoption, change of name, what to do when someone dies.

If necessary we can refer you to a counsellor, a mediator or make an appointment to see a family lawyer.
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