Support for the people of Medway
Get Advice
Our service is only available over the phone due to the current outbreak of COVID-19
People can call us for a brief interview called an Initial Check. Essentially a "triage" system, you may be given the information you need straight away or we may arrange for you to have a full advice interview or speak to one of our Project Workers on the same day or at a later date. Alternatively you may be asked to call the national Citizens Advice Adviceline. You can browse our self help information website at www.citizensadvice.org.uk. This has particularly helpful sections on a range of enquiry areas, so do take a look at it first to see if it helps with your issue.
We can only provide translators as part of certain Project Worker interviews. Home Visits and Outreaches are suspended until further notice.
You can access our services via the following options:
- You can call us on 01634 383 760 between 9:00am and 5:00pm Monday to Friday. Local call rates apply.
- You can call the national Citizens Advice telephone service for free on 0800 144 8848 between 9:00am and 5:00pm Monday to Friday. If you're calling from a mobile, you will be asked to enter a landline number to help direct your call to the nearest Citizens Advice office. This can be any landline number if you don't have one.
- We have a number of specialist numbers available:
- You can arrange a Foodbank delivery by calling the Citizens Advice Foodbank Helpline for free on 0808 208 2138 between 9:00am and 5:00pm Monday to Friday.
- You can get advice on issues relating to goods & services by calling the Citizens Advice Consumer Service for free on 0808 223 1133 between 9:00am and 5:00pm Monday to Friday.
- You can find out what benefits you can claim and get help claiming Universal Credit by calling the Citizens Advice Help to Claim Service for free on 0800 144 8444 between 8:00am and 6:00pm Monday to Friday.
- You can email us at info@medwayadvice.org.uk. We will aim to get back to you within 5 working days. Please be aware that our priority is currently our telephone service due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
- You can access our Webchat service through the button on the right side of each webpage on this site between 10:00am and 12:00pm Monday to Wednesday. Please be aware that our priority is currently our telephone service due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
- You can send us a letter and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Letters need to go to:
The next step after your interview could be:
- leaflets or a self help information pack sent to you via email or post, or contact details for other organisations that are better able to assist you.
- an interview on either the same day or at a later date for full advice.
- an interview on either the same day or at a later date with a Project Worker which could go beyond a one-off interview.
All information and advice we provide is quality checked, thorough and reliable. Many clients can get information from us at the Initial Check and then start to resolve the issue themselves. Other clients will need more help or the issue may be complex.
Only a proportion of our clients qualify for support from our Project Workers as the projects they are attached to can only be operated thanks to the funding of our supporters. The projects we run are:
- Foodbank Helpline: A project funded by the Trussell Trust to ensure anyone who cannot afford food is able to receive a food parcel.
- Universal Credit - Help to Claim: A project funded by the DWP to assist people who need to make a claim for Universal Credit. If you're calling from a mobile, you will be asked to enter a landline number to help direct your call to the nearest Citizens Advice office. This can be any landline number if you don't have one.
- Money Advice Service Debt Advice Project (MAS): A project funded by the Money Advice Service that provides Money and Debt Advice to anyone in debt.
- LAA Housing: A project funded by the Legal Aid Agency that provides those who are eligible for Legal Aid with advice if their problem falls within the scope of Legal Aid in the area of Housing Law.
- Pro-Bono Solicitors: A partnership between Citizens Advice Medway and two Solicitor firms which allows us to provide free legal advice on Civil Liberties, Clinical Negligence and Criminal Law.
If you don’t qualify for one of the above projects, then we will still offer you as much support as you need from our office, although your issue may need to be dealt with over a number of appointments. Remember – our help is free, impartial and confidential. Citizens Advice has been in the advice business for over 70 years so if we can’t help, we will know who can.
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