Citizens Advice Southampton

What Citizens Advice Southampton does

Citizens Advice Southampton is a UK-registered charity (operating name of Southampton Citizens Advice Bureau, a company limited by guarantee, company number 4391330; charity registration 1093678) that delivers free, independent, confidential and impartial advice to residents of Southampton. Core advisory work spans debt, welfare benefits, housing, employment, consumer rights and immigration, with formal FCA authorization (firm reference 617745) and IAA registration (N200100433) underpinning its regulated debt-advice activity. In its most recent reporting year the charity supported 8,316 clients, addressed 32,736 problems, provided emergency support to 2,166 people, and helped clients access £6.3M in additional income.

The organization runs an integrated general advice service alongside six dedicated specialist projects: the Hampshire Citizens Advice Macmillan Service (cancer), Living with Multiple Sclerosis support (in partnership with the MS Society since 2014), Unpaid Carers Support Southampton (transferred to the charity in April 2023), Homes for Ukraine, the MAPS-funded Money Worries debt service, and crisis support delivered through the Household Support Fund and the incoming three-year Crisis and Resilience Fund (April 2026–March 2029). Advice is delivered through the 0808 27 87 863 advice line, three library walk-in hubs (Central, Shirley, Woolston), Landbot-powered online chat, home visits for accessibility, and caseworker outreach at the Macmillan Centre in University Hospital Southampton. Underlying technology consists of Microsoft Office 365 for internal operations, the national Casebook system for case management, and the Refernet secure referral network for partner agency handoffs; there is no proprietary technology platform.

Citizens Advice Southampton has 13 paid employees and is heavily reliant on volunteers for service delivery. It is a member of the national Citizens Advice charity network and is funded through a mix of grants, donations, and government programmes, including a £2.2M Household Support Fund allocation from Southampton City Council (April 2025–March 2026), MAPS funding for debt advice, and contributions from Macmillan Cancer Support and the MS Society. All services to end users are provided free of charge; the organization is geographically restricted to Southampton and adjacent Hampshire locations for its specialist programmes.

Name

Citizens Advice Southampton

Legal name

Southampton Citizens Advice Bureau

Website

https://citizensadvicesouthampton.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Citizens Advice Southampton is a UK-registered charity providing free, FCA-authorized advice on debt, benefits, housing, employment and immigration to Southampton residents, with specialist programmes for cancer patients, people with MS, unpaid carers, and Ukrainian refugees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Welfare Advisory Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (62419), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK)

Keywords

• Debt advice services
• Welfare benefits advice
• Housing advice
• Community advice charity
• Immigration employment advice

Headquarters

HQ city

Southampton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Charitable Funding and Grants: As a registered charity, Citizens Advice Southampton is funded through grants, donations, and government funding programmes including the Household Support Fund, Crisis and Resilience Fund, and Money Advice & Pension Service funding.
2. Donations: Charitable donations from individuals and organisations, with fundraising activities including marathons, skydiving, bake sales, and community events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Citizens Advice Southampton is a local advice charity providing free, independent, confidential, and impartial advice to Southampton residents on debt, housing, welfare benefits, employment, consumer rights, and immigration. It augments its generalist advice service with specialist projects for people affected by cancer, people living with Multiple Sclerosis, unpaid carers, Ukrainian nationals under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, and crisis support through the Household Support Fund and Crisis and Resilience Fund.

Product overview

Citizens Advice Southampton is a local advice charity providing free, independent, confidential, and impartial advice services to residents of Southampton. The organization operates a single integrated advice service supplemented by specialized projects. Core services include general advice on debt, housing, welfare benefits, employment, and immigration issues. The organization runs dedicated specialist services including the Hampshire Citizens Advice Macmillan Service (cancer support), Living with Multiple Sclerosis Support, Unpaid Carers Support Southampton, Homes for Ukraine Support, and Money Worries/MAPS Debt Advice. Financial crisis support is provided through the Crisis and Resilience Fund (replacing the Household Support Fund from April 2026). Advice is delivered through telephone helplines, online chatbot (Landbot), face-to-face library hubs, and in-person appointments. The organization is part of the national Citizens Advice charity network and is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free Advice Services Free, independent, confidential, and impartial advice services covering debt, housing, welfare benefits, employment, immigration, and consumer rights for people in Southampton.
• Online Advice Chatbot Live chat and online advice service powered by Landbot, providing immediate guidance and routing to appropriate advice services for Southampton residents.
• Money Worries / MAPS Debt Advice Finance and debt advice service funded by the Money Advice & Pension Service, providing face-to-face and telephone support to help vulnerable people overcome debt issues.
• Unpaid Carers Support Southampton Support service for adults in Southampton who care for another adult, offering assessments, information, peer connections, social events, workshops, and one-to-one support.
• Hampshire Citizens Advice Macmillan Service Specialist advice service for people affected by cancer, providing face-to-face support at the Macmillan Centre, University Hospital Southampton, and a telephone helpline, covering Hampshire, Portsmouth, and the Isle of Wight.
• Living with Multiple Sclerosis Support Partnership with Southampton and District MS Society providing a dedicated caseworker to support clients and families with practical issues, principally welfare benefits, resulting from living with Multiple Sclerosis.
• Homes for Ukraine Support Holistic advice and support service for Ukrainian nationals and their families accommodated under the government Homes for Ukraine scheme in Southampton, covering housing, financial support, and education access.
• Household Support Fund Emergency support programme (April 2025 to March 2026) providing food and energy cost assistance to low-income Southampton households, funded by Southampton City Council.
• Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) Three-year government funding stream (April 2026 to March 2029) to support low-income households facing financial shocks, replacing the Household Support Fund.

Quantifiable outcome

• £6.3M income gained for clients
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MS Society (Southampton and District branch)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partnership since 2014. Dedicated caseworker supports clients and families with practical issues resulting from living with Multiple Sclerosis, principally welfare benefits.
• Southampton City Council Welfare Right TeamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner organisation with whom client information may be shared with permission to help solve problems and provide holistic support services.
• CLEARcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner organisation with whom client information may be shared with permission for coordinated advice services.
• No LimitscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner organisation providing advice services, with information sharing arrangements for client referrals.
• Rose Road AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner organisation for referral and information sharing to support clients with disabilities and additional needs.
• Age UK SouthamptoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner organisation for referral and collaborative support for elderly clients.
• The Environment CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner organisation with information sharing arrangements for environmental and energy-related advice.
• Southampton Advice & Representation Centre (SARC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner organisation for advice referral and representation services.
• Southampton Voluntary ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal umbrella organisation for voluntary services, coordinating referrals and support across Southampton's advice sector.
• Macmillan Cancer SupportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through the Hampshire Citizens Advice Macmillan Service. Caseworkers provide specialist advice for people affected by cancer at the Macmillan Centre, University Hospital Southampton.
• RefernetcoreTechnology or IntegrationSecure referral system for sharing client information with partner agencies. Information stored for one year before automatic deletion.
• Citizens Advice (National)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCitizens Advice Southampton is a member of the national Citizens Advice charity. The membership agreement requires compliance with data protection law. National Citizens Advice provides Casebook system, research, campaigns, and policy support.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/citizensadvicesouthampton
• Instagraminstagram.com/citizensadvicesouthampton
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southampton-citizens-advice-bureau

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 Southampton