We help some of the most vulnerable people, from all walks of life.

Here are three examples of how both our advice and advocacy services have helped improve our clients' lives:

Phil's Story

Phil, one of the people we helped, struggles with his mental health. Phil had a relapse recently, and as he also had Covid-19 symptoms, this greatly increased his anxiety.

Phil asked for our help with his claim for Universal Credit. Phil had already made a claim and made some progress, but had problems verifying his identity with the DWP. We find this step can be difficult for a lot of people asking us for our help. We were able to help support Phil through this step and his claim progressed.

Phil then came back to us again when his request to backdate his claim to the date he became ill was refused. We gave Phil advice on how to challenge this decision, which he took forward. As a result, Phil's claim was backdated and he received payment in full from the date he became unwell.

We help people in Phil's position on a daily basis. Can you help us?

John's Story

John initially visited us regarding a debt issue. After further exploration it was clear John was not receiving all the benefits he was entitled to. The adviser identified that the client should have been receiving additional benefit because of his ill-health. To find out more about John's story, see our annual review at https://citizensadvicesheffield.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Citizens-Advice-Sheffield-How-we-have-helped-people-2018-2019.pdf

Jackie's Story

Jackie is 66 years old and had a very bad experience when she was taken to hospital. Jackie asked for our help with mental health services, and then to make a NHS Complaint. See her story is in her own words at https://sheffieldadvocacyhub.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Sheffield-Advocacy-Hub-How-we-have-helped-people-2018-2019.pdf