The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) Service works to two twin aims. The first is to ensure that individuals do not suffer through lack of knowledge of their rights and responsibilities or of the services available to them, or through an inability to express their needs effectively. The second and equal aim is to exercise a responsible influence on the development of social policies and services both locally and nationally.
To achieve these aims we provide free, impartial and independent advice to anyone living within the Hamilton locality of South Lanarkshire.
As a registered charity, we rely on the work of our volunteers to continue to provide these important services. As a charity, we are open and transparent about our accounts and governance structure. The minutes of our Annual General Meeting (AGM) are also published online each year.
We offer an advice service five days a week through a mixture of telephone advice, face to face appointments and drop-in. We also offer outreach services in Blantyre and Larkhall. We offer advice across 15 areas of the law, including welfare benefits, housing, debt, employment and immigration. We have specialist services, including a Lay Representation Service which operates within the civil court in Hamilton.
We work to improve policies and practices, both locally and nationally, by providing evidence through anonymised case studies to our national organisation, Citizens Advice Scotland.
Last year Hamilton CAB: