Research and Campaigns
We are the leading information, advice and guidance organisation in Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford. We help people with tens of thousands of problems each year. This gives us a unique insight into the challenges people are facing across Greater Manchester, and it gives us a wealth of evidence to try and fix the underlying causes of these problems.
We use this insight to change policy and practices at a local, regional and national level.
Take a look at our Medium site where you can see insightful information on our work on a daily basis.
Current campaigns- 2024
Living Standards
Ahead of the General Election, we used the Citizens Advice National Red Index to highlight the prevalence of negative budgets in Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale, and Trafford. Our call for urgent action to improve living standards across these areas gained extensive coverage throughout Greater Manchester.
Ahead of the Autumn Budget, we wrote to MPs, urging them to advocate for essential support from the Chancellor for vulnerable households this winter. Our key requests included: raising the Local Housing Allowance, reducing Universal Credit deductions, and providing targeted energy bill support.
After the Autumn Budget announcement, we remain committed to pushing for further measures to protect those most affected by the living standards crisis.
Unfurnished Social Housing in Greater Manchester
Partnering with GMCA and End Furniture Poverty, we’re campaigning to increase access to furnished housing across Greater Manchester, aiming to raise the standard from 2% to 10%. Our data shows a significant rise in issues related to unfurnished housing, and our advisors report the impact it has on residents—from unsafe flooring for young children to high-interest loans for furniture.
Free School Meals
Research by Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and Greater Manchester Poverty Action (GMPA) shows that every local authority in the North West has at least 1,500 children in poverty who don’t qualify for free school meals due to restrictive criteria. We’ve shared local constituency data and raised awareness of this issue via a social media campaign and our external newsletter.
Digital Landline Transition
As the UK’s telephone network moves from analogue to digital by 2025, some people will need additional support to make the transition. We’re raising awareness of this change, and the help available, through local media, online channels, and advice drop-ins.
Universal Credit Migration
We’re concerned about the impact of managed migration from legacy benefits to Universal Credit, including risks of overpayment debts, loss of transitional protections, and inadequate support for vulnerable people. To address this, we’re collaborating with local councils, running awareness campaigns on social media, and sharing insights from Citizens Advice.
Additional Awareness Campaigns
In addition to policy work, we run campaigns to raise awareness of issues like scams, energy, and consumer rights. Recent initiatives include Consumer Awareness Week (20 May–2 June) and Stop Loan Sharks Week (13–19 May).
The national research areas
Welfare benefits is our largest advice area, giving us clear insights into the way the system works and the challenges it poses.
Covers regulated and unregulated markets allowing us to identify problems and draw comparisons about policies and practices.
Debt and money policy research
Citizens Advice helps hundreds of thousands of people with debt and money problems each year giving us insight into how we can prevent money problems and help people to recover.
Covers all housing tenures, highlighting problems and providing solutions to help everyone have a safe and secure place to live.
Our employment queries give us an understanding of how the labour market is changing and the consequences for workers’ lives.