Get help

Whatever the problem, we can help you find a way forward.

We can help with

We can provide advice to help you with various issues, including:

If we can't help, we will point you in the direction of the most appropriate support for you.

We have access to interpreters for face to face and telephone appointments.

Get advice online

Our national Citizens Advice website has lots of useful advice on the above topics that you can access anytime and offers a web chat facility.

Self refer online to our Reading office

You can approach us directly through our self referral form below.  We will respond as soon as we can, but please bear in mind that we are a local charity, staffed mainly by volunteers and we have limited capacity.  

At our busiest, we may need to close our registrations, but we will do our best to reopen as soon as we can. If we are at capacity, please see the section Where else you can get help on this page.

Visit us in Reading

We hold appointments Monday to Friday in our Reading office, but you will need to be a registered client first.  You can register by filling in the self-referral form above, or by coming to the office during our ‘drop-in’ hours:

We also hold advice sessions at outreach locations across Reading where you can register and get help.  Click on the button below to find out further details.

Call our adviceline

You can call our Reading helpline, but please bear in mind that we are a local charity, staffed mainly by volunteers and we have limited capacity.  Our adviceline is 0808 278 8719 and is open on the following days:

Monday - 9.30am - 2pm

Tuesday -  9.30am - 2pm

Thursday -  9.30am - 2pm

Where else you can get help

If you're trying to get help when we're not open, expand a section to find out where you can get help locally or online. 

Benefits

For most benefit queries, excluding new claims for Universal Credit, we'll book you an appointment to assess your benefit problem and help you to resolve it. In some cases we may help with appealing a benefit decision. If our waiting list is currently full for benefits advice you may be able to get support from:

Reading Welfare Rights: https://readingspecialist.co.uk/contact-us/

Communicare: https://www.communicare.org.uk/benefits-checking/

Citizens Advice website: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/

National Citizens Advice support on 0800 144 8848, see: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/contact-us/

Consumer

For consumer advice you may be able to get help from:

National Citizens Advice support: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/get-more-help/if-you-need-more-help-about-a-consumer-issue/ on 0808 223 1133, including webchat (when available) or via online form

Citizens Advice website: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/

Debt

When offering debt advice, we'll provide you with a debt pack explaining how our service works, what you need to do, and what you can expect. If our waiting list is currently full for debt advice you may be able to get support from:

Citizens Advice website: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/

National Citizens Advice support on 0800 240 4420, see: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/contact-us/

StepChange: https://www.stepchange.org/

National Debtline: https://nationaldebtline.org/

Energy, utilities, cost of living

We provide comprehensive and holistic energy advice to people affected by fuel poverty or struggling with fuel debt.  This includes energy efficiency advice, help with understanding tariffs and switching suppliers, energy grants, bill disputes, understanding heating systems and meters, and dealing with energy debts. If our waiting list is currently full for energy advice you may be able to get support from:

Citizens Advice website: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/energy/energy-supply/

National Citizens Advice support on 0808 223 1133, see: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/contact-us/

Family and relationships

We can advise on relationship breakdown and separation, death and wills, gender violence, children and young people, looking after people, and more. If our waiting list is full, you may be able to get help from:

Citizens Advice website: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/

National Citizens Advice support: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/contact-us/ on 0800 144 8848

Communicare: https://www.communicare.org.uk/

Health

We don't currently offer health advice at Citizens Advice Reading. You may be able to get help from:

National Citizens Advice support: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/contact-us/ on 0800 144 8848

Citizens Advice website: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/health/get-advice-about-health-services/

Help for people suffering with cancer

If you or a family member is suffering with cancer, we can help you to claim any benefits or support you may be entitled to as a result of a cancer diagnosis. Your specialist nurse or the Macmillan Information Centre at the hospital where you're being treated can refer you to this team.

Housing

We can advise on housing rights, disrepair, repossession and eviction, landlord disputes, neighbour disputes, finding somewhere to live, and more. If our waiting list is currently full for housing advice you may be able to get support from:

National Citizens Advice support: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/contact-us/ on 0800 144 8848

Citizens Advice website: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/

Shelter: https://england.shelter.org.uk/

Communicare: https://www.communicare.org.uk/housing-advice/

Immigration

We can offer OISC level 1 immigration advice on issues such as visa applications and renewals, settlement, British Citizenship and other matters.  Unfortunately, we don’t offer casework. Immigration advice is highly regulated and there are very few free options available. If our waiting list is currently full for immigration advice you may be able to get support from:

National Citizens Advice website: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/immigration/

National Citizens Advice support on 0800 144 8848


Home Office - UK Visas and Immigration

Online information is available with the following:

www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration

Telephone: 0300 790 6268

Textphone: 0800 389 8289

Monday to Thursday, 9am to 4.45pm. Friday, 9am to 4.30pm

Law and courts

We can help to clarify your legal rights and responsibilities on most matters.  We’ll tell you if we feel you should consult a solicitor.  If our waiting list is currently full for advice on legal matters you may be able to get support from:

National Citizens Advice support: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/contact-us/ on 0800 144 8848

Citizens Advice website: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/

Communicare: https://www.communicare.org.uk/pro-bono-legal-clinic/

Universal Credit

For advice on moving to, or making a new claim for Universal Credit, we have a specialist team offering phone or webchat advice. 

Phone: 0800 144 8444

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

Text Relay UK: 18001 then 0800 144 8444

For face to face help, please visit your local Jobcentre Plus.

Please note this team can only help with new claims for Universal Credit.

For advice on an existing Universal Credit Claim, our benefits team can assess your benefit problem and help you to resolve it. In some cases we may help with appealing a benefit decision. If our waiting list is currently full for benefits advice you may be able to get support from:

Reading Welfare Rights: https://readingspecialist.co.uk/contact-us/

Communicare: https://www.communicare.org.uk/benefits-checking/

Citizens Advice website: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/

National Citizens Advice support on 0800 144 8848, see: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/contact-us/ 

Work and employment

We offer advice about employment rights, disputes and grievances, dismissal, redundancy, and more.  If our waiting list is currently full for employment advice you may be able to get support from:

National Citizens Advice support: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/contact-us/ on 0800 144 8848

Citizens Advice website: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/work/

ACAS: https://www.acas.org.uk/advice

Communicare: https://www.communicare.org.uk/employment-advice/