We're HERE to HELP
Quite simply, we're here to help the people of Lancashire with the problems they face. Our advice is free, confidential, impartial and independent. We operate from five locations across Lancashire: Chorley, Leyland, Fleetwood Skelmersdale, and Blackburn with Darwen.. We provide advice in person at our offices, via our telephone helpline or by email.
If you have a problem you need help with there are several options available to you:
- Look through the advice sections detailed below or visit our main AdviceGuide site.
- Telephone our Gateway Service on: 0344 245 1294 (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm) (local rate number).
- Call in to your local bureau. Select your most convenient location from our Area Map for details of our opening times and office addresses.
- If it’s more convenient, we now offer advice by email. Click on the following link to use this option Advice by Email
- If our offices don't cover your location, enter your postcode in the "Find your local Citizens Advice" section on our national site.
The areas we cover
Advice
Citizens Advice Lancashire offers free, confidential, impartial and independent advice and information on a wide range of subjects.
Quick Links
Pension Wise is a free government service that helps you understand what you can do with your pension pot money.
It offers guidance about your options for taking your pension pot(s), and can help you understand the tax implications.
It also offers free guidance appointments over the telephone or face-to-face where you can talk through these options, ensuring you have the information you need to make the right decision.
Pension Wise can help you:
- Understand the right things to think about when considering your choices, such as your plans to continue working, your personal and financial circumstances, and leaving money after you die
- Understand the different options for accessing your pension pot(s), and the potential advantages and disadvantages of each
- Understand the tax implications of each choice
What we're saying on Twitter
Latest News
CAB News 19 July 2019
Friday 19 July 2019 Research into energy pricing discrepancies across the country has been published by home finances website Youtility. National Energy Utility prices vary across Britain as regional pricing reveals discrimination Mirror.co.uk, 18/07/2019, Graham Hiscott Families in Liverpool typically pay £81 a year more than those in Leeds for energy, home finances website Youtility
Read MoreProtection for customers must keep pace with rapidly evolving energy supply market says Citizens Advice
Friday 19 July 2019 Citizens Advice says radical reform of the energy supply market is needed to protect customers as new technologies are introduced in a fast-changing industry. The charity, official consumer watchdog for energy, warns customers in vulnerable circumstances are particularly at risk as the need for decarbonisation accelerates the rate of change. In
Read MoreCAB News 12 July 2019
Friday 12 July 2019 Our report, Keeping Warm: The Future of Heat, was published this morning, looking at the decarbonisation of heating homes and businesses. Coverage has been picked up by a number of national broadcast and online media. National Energy Government must protect consumers during decarbonisation – Citizens Advice Mail Online, 12/07/2019 Our warning
Read MoreGovernment action urgently needed to protect consumers during the decarbonisation of heating, says Citizens Advice
Friday 12 July 2019 The lack of a credible plan to decarbonise the way homes and businesses are heated risks failing consumers and undermining public confidence, according to Citizens Advice. The charity is calling on the government to close gaps in the regulation of decarbonisation innovations such as heat networks. Heat networks are a significant
Read MoreCouncil tax collection practices must not leave people with too little to live on, says Citizens Advice
Friday 12 July 2019 Citizens Advice has responded to the government’s pilot scheme to recover unpaid council tax through deductions. It is being rolled out from Monday 8 July to almost 30 local authorities in England. Gillian Guy, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said: “Our research shows harsh collection methods added half a billion pounds
Read MoreCAB News 05 July 2019
Friday 05 July 2019 Our research on debt and the energy supply market featured in the national media today. National Debt Councils look to take unpaid tax from debtors’ wages FT.com (subscription required), 04/07/2019, Naomi Rovnick Our research showing the average person who approaches Citizen Advice over problems with council tax payments has just £14
Read MoreCancelled flights and lost luggage drove almost 700,000 views of Citizens Advice guidance in last year
Friday 05 July 2019 In the last twelve months, problematic flights were the number one issue bringing people to the consumer pages of the Citizens Advice website. Online advice about flight delays and cancellations was viewed almost 600,000 times in the last year, while advice on delayed or lost luggage had over 110,000 views. With
Read MoreCAB News 28 June 2019
Friday 28 June 2019 Our report into the state of the private rented sector has continued to pick up coverage in the national media, with a comment article from the Guardian. National Britain’s private rented sector isn’t fit for purpose. It’s unfair and unsafe The Guardian, 27/06/2019, Vicky Spratt An opinion piece based on our
Read MoreHazardous homes – hundreds of thousands of private renters living in unsafe properties
Friday 28 June 2019 Weak regulation of private renting is leaving hundreds of thousands of tenants living in hazardous homes in England, research by Citizens Advice has revealed. A survey of landlords and tenants conducted by ComRes on behalf of Citizens Advice revealed many landlords don’t know or understand their legal obligations, while renters aren’t
Read MoreCitizens Advice issues warning over future of community post offices
Friday 28 June 2019 Citizens Advice is warning about the future of 3,000 community branches as they face losing financial support. These important post offices are often the last shop in the village and provide essential services. Government funding is due to end in 2021. The charity is calling for continued funding of community post
Read MoreToo many energy firms struggling to deliver good customer service, says Citizens Advice
Friday 28 June 2019 Ten energy companies are failing to achieve even half marks (two out of five stars) in the latest customer service league table from Citizens Advice. That’s a quarter of the firms included in the table. The energy star rating assesses a wide range of customer service indicators, including numbers of complaints,
Read MoreCAB News 21 June 2019
Friday 21 June 2019 Our research that revealed customers are left picking up a £172m bill for failed energy companies has been covered across national print and online media today. National Energy Households face £172m bill from failed energy suppliers Financial Times (subscription required), 21/06/2019, Nathalie Thomas The report was covered in the Financial Times,
Read MoreEnergy customers pay the price for the collapse of energy companies
Friday 21 June 2019 British energy customers are facing a potential bill of £172 million from the collapse of 11 suppliers since January 2018. On top of this, thousands of people who owed money to failed suppliers lost out on consumer protections and faced aggressive debt collection as a result, according to a new report
Read MoreCitizens Advice responds to a new scheme to help people in debt
Friday 21 June 2019 Today the government has announced a new ‘breathing space’ scheme which will protect people in debt for 60 days from interest, fees, charges and enforcement, as well as providing statutory protections from creditors for people who have plans to repay their debts. Last year, Citizens Advice helped more than 330,000 people
Read MoreCAB News 14 June 2019
Friday 14 June 2019 Our reaction to the Financial Conduct Authority’s changes to the regulations on Buy Now Pay Later borrowing, which includes catalogue credit, store cards and retailers that offer finance at the point of sale, has been reported by both the broadsheet and tabloid national newspapers. National Financial regulator to tighten ‘buy now
Read MoreBuy Now Pay Later rules won’t stop people being hit by these unexpected costs, says Citizens Advice
Friday 14 June 2019 The Financial Conduct Authority’s rules on Buy Now Pay Later borrowing won’t stop people being hit by unexpected costs, says Citizens Advice. Buy Now Pay Later borrowing includes catalogue credit, store cards and retailers that offer finance at the point of sale (which can be in store or online). The national
Read More“Tried-and-tested scams still pose huge threat” says Citizens Advice, as fraudsters on average pocket almost £3,000 per victim
Friday 14 June 2019 Over 11,000 complaints were made to Citizens Advice consumer service last year by people suspicious about possible offline scams. These classic tactics from the scammers’ playbook include unsolicited doorstep selling, mail and cold calling, and saw people lose an average of almost £3,000. Scams sent through the post resulted in the
Read MoreCAB News 07 June 2019
Friday 07 June 2019 Our comment on the Financial Conduct Authority’s announcement that banks will be banned for charging more for unarranged overdrafts has appeared in a number of outlets. National Debt Regulator pushes ahead with overhaul of UK’s £2.4bn overdraft market Financial Times, 07/06/2019, Caroline Binham The Financial Conduct Authority has confirmed that from
Read MoreMomentous week for England’s renters as Tenant Fees Act comes into force
Friday 07 June 2019 Private renters will no longer have to pay letting agent fees as the Tenant Fees Act comes into force. Citizens Advice has called for a ban on fees for a decade, and worked with Parliamentarians across the political spectrum to make sure the Bill was as watertight as possible. This included
Read MoreCitizens Advice responds to new Universal Credit figures
Friday 07 June 2019 The government has published new figures that show the number of people with outstanding Tax Credit overpayments who have moved onto Universal Credit. Gillian Guy, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said: “These new figures show the staggering number of people who get money deducted from their payments when moving from Tax
Read More