The Citizens Advice service helps people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free, independent and confidential advice, and by influencing policymakers.

Every Citizens Advice Bureau is a registered charity reliant on trained volunteers and funds to provide these vital services for local communities.

• Our impact report

• Our service strategy 2008-2011

Financial Skills for Life (FSfL) is the national financial capability project of Citizens Advice. By supporting the delivery of educational initiatives at a community level, we help people to avoid unmanageable debt and other money problems. This work builds on our position as a trusted provider of money advice, information and policy influence.

Our vision

We want people to have the skills, knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions across a range of personal money matters.

Our work helps people to:

• choose financial products
• access government help
• work out their budgets
• plan their financial future.

We aim to enable every bureau in England and Wales to provide some level of financial capability service by 2011.

We work with a range of partner agencies to improve the financial skills of people of all ages, particularly those at risk of social or financial exclusion. We help Citizens Advice Bureaux to deliver effective financial capability programmes, making use of their community links and financial expertise.

Further information

• An introduction to financial capability ( 51kb) - an overview of work in the Citizens Advice service.

• Email Beth Bell for more information.