Anyone had experience paid working for citizens advice bureau?

[Changeembrace]

I’m considering a change in job.
Currently very corporate and well paid. But boring!

I have been offered a job as a help-to-claim advisor for the CAB. Paid role, much less than current but that’s not a particular consideration.

I really liked the interviewers, the offices are a five minute walk away and I love the idea of helping people through their claims. Lots of training (which appeals) and apparently lots of opportunity to progress (campaigns etc)

I have never worked for an organisation like this or done this type of work.

Would love to hear from those who have...

A very hopeful bump!

I haven’t worked for the CAB but Have worked in a similar role .My thoughts are that the role is subject to funding so you need to be prepared for that ie uncertainty of employment as contracts come to end or funding crises.That is usual in this line of work but on the plus side, once you have experience dealing with such matters you can easily
move to other providers and it is satisfying and certainly an eye opener.

Thank you - appreciate it

My observations from a volunteer perspective of our help-to-claim adviser. May not be accurate and each CAB is run differently!

Our H2C adviser can do her hours round school pickup which works well for her.

Ours does a mix of face-to-face/phone/webchat work.

Ours finds it a bit difficult she only sees people once so there is no sense of continuity with any of the clients.

Ours is based in the DWP office half the time (that may be due to space issues in our CAB office). In the DWP office there is no camaderie with staff like she gets in the CAB office.

CAB desparately needs the DWP funding following severe cuts by local councils to CAB funding over several years. However some people think doing the help-to-claim work is affecting CAB's indpendence and impartiality. So the job can be a bit of a no-mans-land between DWP and CAB.

If you haven't done that kind of work before would recommend you shadow the existing person to see if you enjoy the role.

Our H2C advisor seems to enjoy the role though.

Invaluable info! @caranx thank you
Nervous I think ready for change

I have volunteered for Citizens Advice for years. I agree with the poster, who said that funding is an issue. The management is constantly renegotiating funding from Councils, charities etc. Lots of paid adviser roles only last as long as the funding and we've had many redundancy processes happen at ours.