CAMDEN CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX SERVICE

What CAMDEN CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX SERVICE does

Citizens Advice Camden is a registered charity (charity number 291955, company number 01909828) operating since 1939 in the London Borough of Camden, delivering free, confidential, and impartial advice on benefits, housing, debt, employment, consumer rights, and related matters to Camden residents. Its service portfolio is delivered through multiple channels: a telephone Adviceline (0800 028 3146, Monday-Friday 10am-4pm), an online self-service information system, a callback request form, pre-booked face-to-face appointments at its Robert Street office, and embedded advice services at partner institutions including Great Ormond Street Hospital, Royal Free Hospital, UCLH, Birkbeck University, Camden Health Improvement Practice, and Mind in Camden. The organization also runs several funded projects such as the Help to Claim Universal Credit Service, Financial Wellbeing Project, Advice North Camden, Debt Advice North Camden, St Andrew Advice, and the recently concluded Advising Londoners Project (2022-2025).

The underlying technology stack is intentionally lean and largely inherited rather than proprietary: a WordPress CMS for the public website, the Casebook client management system operated jointly with the national Citizens Advice charity, Google Analytics for site measurement, and standard social media integrations (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube). In 2023/24, the organization supported 10,912 individuals and families, advised on 66,620 issues, and placed £9.2 million in financial outcomes into clients' pockets, with a social return on investment of £18.96 per £1 invested.

The business model is grant-funded: there is no charge to service users, and revenue is assembled from Camden Council (primary funder), national Citizens Advice, City Bridge Trust, the Greater London Authority, multiple hospital charities (Great Ormond Street, Royal Free, UCLH), and geographically restricted charitable trusts (Hampstead Wells and Campden Trust, St Andrew Holborn). The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees, with day-to-day operations led by a Chief Officer, and had a 2019-20 turnover of £1.1 million against 33 paid staff and 120 volunteers. The organization is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 617538) and is GDPR-compliant in its handling of personal data.

Name

CAMDEN CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX SERVICE

Legal name

Citizens Advice Camden

Website

https://camdencabservice.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Citizens Advice Camden is a registered charity, operating since 1939, that delivers free, impartial advice on benefits, housing, debt, employment, and consumer rights to Camden residents through a telephone Adviceline, online information system, community outreach, and embedded services at local hospitals and universities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Primary funding from Camden Council providing free advice service for Camden residents and Financial Wellbeing service. Also receives project-specific funding from various grant-making trusts and charities.
2. Charitable Grants: Relies on grant-making trusts and charities to fund services. Does not receive government funding for core operations.
3. Project-Specific Funding: Various funders support specific projects: Birkbeck for student advice, GLA for Cost of Living Advice, Great Ormond Street Children's Charity for GOSH families, City Bridge Trust for Universal Credit claimants, Hampstead Wells and Campden Trust for North Camden services, Royal Free Hospital for Macmillan patients, St Andrew Holborn for local residents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Citizens Advice Camden provides free, confidential, independent and impartial advice to people who live in Camden through a telephone Adviceline, an online information system, callback requests, and pre-booked appointments. It runs specialised projects for Universal Credit claimants, financial wellbeing, debt advice in North Camden, and embeds advisers within partner organisations including Great Ormond Street Hospital, Royal Free Hospital, UCLH, Birkbeck University, Camden Health Improvement Practice and Mind in Camden.

Product overview

Citizens Advice Camden is a registered charity providing free, independent, impartial and confidential advice services to Camden residents. The organization operates a multi-channel advice platform comprising a telephone Adviceline (0800 028 3146), an Online Information System covering all major advice categories, and a callback request service. The core portfolio includes specialized projects such as the Help to Claim Universal Credit Service, Financial Wellbeing Project, Advice North Camden Project, Debt Advice North Camden Project, and St Andrew Advice Project. The organization also embeds advisers within partner institutions including Great Ormond Street Hospital, Royal Free Hospital, UCLH, Birkbeck University, Camden Health Improvement Practice, and Mind in Camden. Citizens Advice Camden is an independent local charity that is part of the national Citizens Advice membership network, which provides shared infrastructure including the Casebook case management system, training resources, and national campaigning capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adviceline (telephone advice service) Free telephone advice service on 0800 028 3146, Monday to Friday 10am–4pm, staffed by trained volunteer assessors who provide information, advice, and triage Camden residents into further specialist appointments when required.
• Online Help (self-service information system)
• Request a Callback Online form service that lets Camden residents request a telephone callback from an adviser; an adviser aims to call back on the first available working day.
• Help to Claim Universal Credit service Project supporting individuals making new Universal Credit claims — eligibility checks, walk-through of the claim process, and support through to first payment — accessible via Freephone 0800 144 8 444, webchat, and online resources.
• Financial Wellbeing Project One-to-one financial wellbeing and energy advice appointments and group workshops for Camden residents covering budgeting, credit, debt, energy efficiency, smart meters, and fuel vouchers.
• Get Help with the Cost of Living Online guidance and resources to help Camden residents manage rising living costs, with tips on energy bills, benefits-eligibility checks, and links to Camden Council cost-of-living support.
• Advice North Camden Project Funded by Hampstead Wells and Campden Trust, this project provides benefits, housing, consumer, work and home advice to residents living within the Trust's area of benefit.
• Debt Advice North Camden Project Funded by Hampstead Wells and Campden Trust, this project delivers dedicated debt-management advice to residents in the Trust's area of benefit, helping people manage money and deal with debts.
• St Andrew Advice Project Funded by St Andrew Holborn charity, this project offers benefits, housing, consumer and employment advice to residents within the charity's area of benefit in the Holborn area.
• Great Ormond Street Hospital Advice Service Full-time advice service for families of children being treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, covering all Citizens Advice areas including complex housing and benefits cases up to appeal level.
• Royal Free Hospital Advice Service Advice service for Macmillan patients and those using the renal service at Royal Free Hospital.
• UCLH Staff Support Advice Service Advice service provided for staff working at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
• Birkbeck University Advice Service Weekly advice service for students of Birkbeck, University of London.
• Camden Health Improvement Project Advice Session Weekly advice session delivered in partnership with Camden Health Improvement Practice for patients of the practice.
• Welfare Rights Adviser Service (Mind in Camden) Welfare rights advice service for users of the Mind in Camden mental health service.
• Advising Londoners Project (completed) Three-year (2022–December 2025) crisis-prevention and holistic advice project delivered in foodbanks, warm hubs, children's centres and partner organisations to provide in-depth support during the cost-of-living crisis; supported 730 clients and 2,767 issues through 3,000 contacts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported 10,912 individuals and families; advised on 66,620 issues in 2023/2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Birkbeck, University of LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding for a weekly advice service for students of Birkbeck University of London.
• Camden CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding for a free advice service for Camden residents and a Financial Wellbeing service. Cost of living support pages on council website.
• Camden Health Improvement PracticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding for the CHIP advice service for patients of the practice. Weekly advice session provided.
• Citizens AdvicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Citizens Advice charity provides funding for the Universal Credit Help to Claim service and Energy Advice Projects. Operating name of The National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux.
• City Bridge TrustsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding from City of London to help claimants with Universal Credit problems.
• Greater London Authority (GLA)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerGLA Cost of Living Advice funding delivered in partnership with other local Citizens Advice charities working in London boroughs.
• Great Ormond Street Children's CharitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding for Citizens Advice service for families of children at Great Ormond Street Hospital.
• Great Ormond Street HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding for the Staff Support advice service for hospital staff.
• Hampstead Wells and Campden TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding for the Debt Advice North Camden and Advice North Camden services for people living in the Trust's area of benefit.
• Royal Free HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding for Citizens Advice Camden to provide an advice service for Macmillan patients and those using the renal service.
• St Andrew HolbornsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding for the St Andrew Advice project providing advice to residents in their area of benefit in the Holborn area.
• University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding for the staff advice service at UCLH.
• Mind in CamdensupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing Welfare Rights Adviser for Mind in Camden service users with mental health needs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• StepChange Debt Charity: National debt-advice charity providing telephone and online debt casework. Competes most directly with Citizens Advice Camden's FCA-regulated debt advice line and online debt resources.
• Shelter: National housing and homelessness charity with overlapping advice content on housing, benefits and debt. A broader incumbent whose online self-help content competes with Citizens Advice Camden's information system for housing queries.
• Citizens Advice: The national Citizens Advice charity of which Citizens Advice Camden is an independent local member. Operates the shared Casebook platform, training and policy infrastructure, and runs national telephone and digital channels that overlap with the Camden service.
• Money Advice Trust (National Debtline): Operates National Debtline and Business Debtline, providing free debt advice across the UK. Overlaps with the debt and money casework delivered by Citizens Advice Camden and competes for the same grant-funded commissioning pots.

Direct peers

• Citizens Advice Tower Hamlets: Another inner-London Citizens Advice local member running an identical advice service portfolio with comparable reliance on Tower Hamlets Council commissioning and grant-funded welfare-rights projects.
• Citizens Advice Westminster: Direct operational peer in an adjacent central London borough, running the same Adviceline / online information / casework model with similar reliance on local-authority commissioning and grant-funded projects.
• Citizens Advice Manchester: Large regional Citizens Advice member organisation running the same Advice Line / casework / project-funded model, providing a useful scale benchmark for a Camden-equivalent operating structure.
• Citizens Advice Birmingham: Major urban Citizens Advice member with comparable high-volume benefit, debt and housing casework and similar local-authority plus grant funding mix — useful for benchmarking growth and impact metrics.
• Citizens Advice Hackney: Local Citizens Advice charity providing free, independent advice across benefits, housing, debt and employment in another high-need inner London borough — directly comparable in scale, client mix and funding architecture.
• Citizens Advice Islington: Sibling local Citizens Advice charity serving a neighbouring London borough with the same multi-channel advice model, FCA-authorised debt casework and Camden-equivalent funding mix from the local council and grant-making trusts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CitizensAdvice
• YouTubeyoutube.com/CitizensAdvice
• Facebookfacebook.com/CitizensAdvice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/camden-citizens-advice-bureaux-service

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CAMDEN CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX SERVICE