Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau

What Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau does

Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau is a registered Scottish charity (SC001738) and company (SC282019), authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 617477), that delivers free, confidential, independent and impartial advice to residents of the Renfrewshire council area. Founded in 1979 and operating with 15 staff from its Paisley headquarters at 7 Glasgow Road, the bureau advises on benefits, debt and money, housing, employment, law and courts, consumer, immigration, health, and family matters. It also delivers specialised modules including Help to Claim (Universal Credit support), Pension Wise (defined contribution pension guidance), and a Legal Clinic consultation service.

The organisation is part of the wider Citizens Advice Scotland federation, giving it access to national branding, training, and referral infrastructure. Services are delivered through a multi-channel model: pre-booked in-person appointments at the Paisley office (Mon-Fri 10am-4pm), a telephone helpline (0141 889 2121), online appointment booking via the 10to8 platform, and a contact form. Geographic reach is extended through outreach locations at Johnstone Community Library, Renfrew Community Library, The Cornerstone in Bishopton, and a partnership with The Star Project in Paisley that provides fortnightly appointment slots, with the Paisley office's 8-step entrance noted as a non-accessible point and accommodated via outreach alternatives.

Renfrewshire CAB is a non-profit funded through charitable donations, grants, and likely government/lottery/charitable-foundation sources, with services provided at no cost to end users. Its go-to-market is community-led: awareness is driven through the Citizens Advice Scotland network, library venue visibility, partner referrals, and the website (renfrewshire.cas.org.uk), with appointments bookable online or by phone. Pricing is therefore not a commercial lever; sustainability depends on grant funding and volunteer/donor support rather than fee-based revenue.

Name

Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau

Legal name

Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau

Website

https://renfrewshirecab.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau is a registered Scottish charity that delivers free, confidential advice on benefits, debt, housing, employment, consumer, immigration, health, and family matters to residents of Renfrewshire through a Paisley main office, telephone, online booking, and community outreach locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Legal Aid and Advice Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (62419), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Assistance & Benefits Navigation Services (BPAGAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family & Child Benefits Administration (Child Allowance, Parental Leave) (BPAIAKAD)

Keywords

• Free legal advice
• Debt counselling
• Benefits guidance
• Housing advice
• Employment rights

Headquarters

HQ city

Paisley

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Funding: As a registered charity (SC001738) and company (SC282019), Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau is funded through charitable donations and grants, likely from government bodies, lottery funds, and charitable foundations. Registered with the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 617477) for certain regulated activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau provides free, confidential, independent, and impartial advice services to residents of Renfrewshire across nine core areas: benefits, debt and money, housing, work, law and courts, consumer, immigration, health, and family. Services are delivered through in-person appointments at the Paisley main office, telephone consultations, an online contact form, and a network of community outreach locations across the region.

Product overview

Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau is a charitable advice service offering free, impartial, confidential advice to residents of Renfrewshire. The core product is their advice service delivered through multiple channels: in-person appointments at their main Paisley office (7 Glasgow Road), telephone consultations (0141 889 2121), and online contact forms. The service covers multiple advice categories including Benefits, Debt and Money, Housing, Work, Law and Courts, Consumer, Immigration, Health, and Family. Additional specialized modules include Help to Claim (benefit claims assistance), Pension Wise (retirement options guidance), and Legal Clinic (legal consultations). Services are also delivered through a network of outreach locations across Renfrewshire including Renfrew Community Library, Johnstone Community Library, Bishopton (The Cornerstone), and The Star Project in Paisley.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Benefits Advice Free, confidential advice for Renfrewshire residents on benefit issues, tax credits, and child benefit entitlements.
• Debt and Money Advice Guidance from trained specialists on debt management, money management, and financial hardship for Renfrewshire residents.
• Housing Advice Advice on mortgage difficulties, private sector tenancies, neighbour complaints, and other housing matters for Renfrewshire residents.
• Work and Employment Advice Support for workplace problems including discrimination, redundancy, and other employment disputes for Renfrewshire workers.
• Law and Courts Advice Guidance on legal matters including legal aid, human rights, and civil court procedure for Renfrewshire residents.
• Consumer Advice Guidance on making complaints about faulty goods or bad service for Renfrewshire consumers.
• Immigration Advice Advice on immigration status and time-critical immigration matters for Renfrewshire residents.
• Health Advice Guidance on healthcare complaints, NHS patient rights, and private healthcare matters for Renfrewshire residents.
• Family Advice Support for family issues including child maintenance and relationship ending for Renfrewshire individuals and families.
• Help to Claim Assistance service helping individuals make a claim for benefits, particularly Universal Credit.
• Pension Wise Free guidance service for individuals with defined contribution pension pots, providing information on retirement options.
• Legal Clinic Legal consultation service providing access to legal professionals for advice on various matters.
• Community Outreach Appointments Pre-bookable advice appointments delivered at accessible community locations across Renfrewshire, including Renfrew Community Library (Mondays), Johnstone Community Library (Wednesdays), Bishopton - The Cornerstone (fortnightly Tuesday mornings), and The Star Project in Paisley (fortnightly Tuesdays).

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Star ProjectminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership arrangement with Star Project (12-14 Wallace Street, Paisley) to provide pre-bookable advice appointments fortnightly on Tuesdays. Appointments are bookable through Star Project's own booking system, extending service reach to Star Project's service users.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Child Poverty Action Group: UK charity specializing in welfare benefits advice and policy advocacy for low-income families. Directly comparable to Renfrewshire CAB's Benefits and Family advice services, particularly around tax credits and child benefit.
• Age Scotland: Scottish charity providing free advice and information for older people on issues including benefits, housing, and health. Overlaps with several of Renfrewshire CAB's service categories, particularly for elderly clients.
• Citizens Advice Glasgow: Sibling Citizens Advice Bureau serving Glasgow, providing the same comprehensive free advice services under the Citizens Advice Scotland umbrella. Directly comparable peer operating in an adjacent Scottish local authority area.
• Shelter Scotland: National housing and homelessness charity providing free housing advice, including mortgage difficulties, tenancy issues, and neighbour disputes. Directly overlaps with Renfrewshire CAB's Housing advice service.
• Citizens Advice Edinburgh: Sibling Citizens Advice Bureau serving Edinburgh, providing the same free, confidential advice across benefits, debt, housing, employment, and family issues. Most directly comparable peer as another local CAB within the Citizens Advice Scotland network.
• Money Advice Trust: Operator of National Debtline and Business Debtline, providing free debt advice across the UK. Directly comparable to Renfrewshire CAB's debt management and financial guidance services.
• Christians Against Poverty: UK debt counselling charity offering free debt advice and money management courses. Comparable as a charity providing similar free debt and benefits advice to individuals in financial difficulty.
• StepChange Debt Charity: UK's leading debt advice charity providing free, confidential debt advice and money management guidance. Directly comparable to Renfrewshire CAB's Debt and Money service line and shares the free, impartial advice model.

Broad incumbents

• Citizens Advice Scotland: The national umbrella body and parent organization of Renfrewshire CAB, providing strategic oversight, training, and centralized resources across all Scottish Citizens Advice Bureaus. Directly comparable as the broader network governing similar local advice delivery.

Others

• Macmillan Cancer Support: Major UK charity providing welfare benefits advice, financial guidance, and support services to people affected by cancer. Thematically comparable as a charity delivering free advice services to vulnerable populations, though focused on a different client segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/renfrewshire-citizens-advice-bureau

Compliance1 record

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 Renfrewshire Citizens Advice Bureau