What Citizens Advice Bath and North East Somerset does

Citizens Advice Bath and North East Somerset is a UK-registered charity (legal name: Bath and District Citizens Advice Bureau) operating as part of the national Citizens Advice network. Founded in 1939 and headquartered at 5 Palace Yard Mews, Bath, with an additional office in Keynsham, the organisation provides free, confidential, and impartial advice to residents across benefit claims, debt management, employment issues, energy costs, pensions, and legal matters. Specialist services include the Macmillan Welfare Rights Service and the newly launched Macmillan Link Service for people affected by cancer, as well as a volunteer-led Benefits Appeals team that reports a 95% success rate and a Bath Law Clinic offering pro bono legal appointments.

The organisation runs a horizontal advice stack rather than a software platform: the underlying technology is a standard charity website with online advice resources and client management systems, with no proprietary technology or AI components disclosed. Distribution is multi-channel — a Freephone adviceline, in-person drop-in offices, home visits, virtual meetings, and online resources — supplemented by formal referral pathways from GP practices, the Royal United Hospital, Dorothy House Hospice, and the Stroke Association. Volunteer capacity is significant, with roughly 300 hours donated per week alongside 22 paid staff.

Citizens Advice Bath and North East Somerset generates no fee income from clients; all services are free. The revenue model is grant-funded, drawing on Bath & North East Somerset Council, the National Lottery Community Fund, St John's Foundation, Macmillan Cancer Support, Wessex Water, Seetec, the Centre for Sustainable Energy, and other charitable trusts. The customer base is the general resident population of Bath and North East Somerset and adjacent regions, with primary segments being residents struggling with benefits, people in debt or financial crisis, and people affected by cancer. Reported outcomes include £13 million of social value created in 2021, 79% of debt issues solved, £175 of financial outcomes per £10 invested, and 90% client recommendation.

Name

Citizens Advice Bath and North East Somerset

Legal name

Bath and District Citizens Advice Bureau

Website

https://citizensadvicebanes.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Citizens Advice Bath and North East Somerset is a UK local charity providing free, confidential advice on benefits, debt, employment, energy, pension, and legal matters to residents of Bath and North East Somerset, funded by grants and operated by paid staff and volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charity Advice Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (62419), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

Keywords

• Charity advice services
• Debt counselling
• Benefits advice
• Consumer rights advice
• Social welfare support

Headquarters

HQ city

Bath

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Grants and Funding: Funded by grants from local authorities, national lottery, charitable trusts, and institutional funders including Bath & North East Somerset Council, National Lottery Community Fund, St John's Foundation, Macmillan Cancer Support, and other charitable organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Citizens Advice Bath and North East Somerset is a local, independent charity that provides free, confidential, and impartial advice to residents of Bath and North East Somerset on issues including debt, benefits, housing, employment, energy bills, and consumer rights. The organisation is supported by volunteers and partners with organisations such as Macmillan to deliver specialist services like cancer support advice.

Product overview

Citizens Advice Bath and North East Somerset operates as a single integrated advice service rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering consists of generalist advice services covering Benefits, Debt, Work, Energy, and Pension Wise, supplemented by specialist services including the Macmillan Welfare Rights Service and Macmillan Link Service for cancer patients, and the Bath Law Clinic providing pro bono legal appointments. The organisation also maintains a Cost of Living Crisis Resource Hub as an informational resource. All services are delivered through a combination of telephone adviceline, in-person appointments, and online information.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Macmillan Services: Specialized services for people affected by cancer, including Welfare Rights Service and Macmillan Link Service
• Bath Law Clinic
• Benefits Appeals Team

Products and services

• General Advice Service Free, confidential, impartial advice to residents of Bath and North East Somerset on a wide range of issues including debt, benefits, housing, employment, consumer rights, and energy bills.

Quantifiable outcome

• £13 million social value created in 2021
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dorothy House HospicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funder of welfare rights services for cancer patients and life-limiting conditions. Provides referrals for patients needing financial welfare support.
• Centre for Sustainable EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for energy advice resources and energy efficiency guidance.
• Bath Spa UniversityminorOthersEducational institution partner for student placements and community engagement.
• Stroke AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to offer benefits advice to stroke victims and their carers.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Citizens Advice (national): National umbrella body that Citizens Advice B&NES is a member of. Operates the same advice model (benefits, debt, employment, energy) and provides policy, training, and brand infrastructure — directly comparable service architecture and beneficiary base.
• Advice UK: Membership body for independent advice charities in the UK, providing standards, accreditation, and sector representation. Directly comparable as a peer organization supporting local independent advice charities of similar size and scope.
• Turn2us: National charity helping people in financial hardship access benefits and grants. Comparable because benefits navigation and welfare rights advice are core services for Citizens Advice B&NES, with similar beneficiary populations and outcomes focus.
• Christians Against Poverty: UK debt advice charity providing free debt counselling and money management. Comparable service model — free, advice-led support for people in debt — and overlapping client base with Citizens Advice B&NES's debt and benefits services.
• StepChange Debt Charity: UK's largest specialist debt advice charity. Comparable because debt advice is one of Citizens Advice B&NES's core services and StepChange operates a similar free, advice-led model with comparable client demographics (people in financial distress).

Others

• Mind: National mental health charity and listed partner/supporter of Citizens Advice B&NES. Comparable as a UK charity working with vulnerable populations in the B&NES region, though focused specifically on mental health rather than generalist advice.

Broad incumbents

• Age UK: National charity for older people providing advice on benefits, care, and finances. Comparable as a larger, established advice charity serving elderly beneficiaries — overlapping directly with Citizens Advice B&NES's elderly benefits-navigation segment.
• Money Helper (Money and Pensions Service): UK government's free financial guidance service (parent includes Pension Wise, which Citizens Advice B&NES also delivers). Comparable as an incumbent providing free debt, pensions, and money advice to overlapping client populations.
• Macmillan Cancer Support: Major UK cancer charity and primary funder of Citizens Advice B&NES's Welfare Rights and Link services. Comparable as a broader cancer-support incumbent whose funding enables much of the charity's specialist service line.
• Shelter: National housing and homelessness charity offering advice and advocacy. Comparable as a larger UK advice charity serving overlapping client segments (people in financial hardship, benefits navigation) but focused specifically on housing rather than generalist advice.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/CitizensAdvice
• Facebookfacebook.com/CABBANES
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/citizens-advice-bath-nes
• Instagraminstagram.com/citizensadvicebathnes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Citizens Advice Bath and North East Somerset