Campaigns

"Every day, we hear about the unique challenges people face in their daily lives. By gathering and analyzing this information, we identify common themes that reveal larger, systemic issues, such as local housing problems. This data helps us create strong evidence for local policy campaigns and also contributes to national campaigns organised by Citizens Advice."

Chris O'Hare, Chief Officer, Citizens Advice Oxford

The twin aims of the Citizens Advice service are:

→ To provide the advice people need for the problems they face.

→ To improve the policies and principles that affect people’s lives.

As a service, we have valuable insights and data about the problems faced by our clients in Oxford and their communities. We use this information to:

• Research Issues: Delve deeper into specific problems.
• Inform Decision-Makers: Show where decisions might have unexpected effects.
• Campaign for Change: Push for changes in policies and practices by policymakers.

The evidence we collect comes from real client stories, compiled anonymously to protect privacy. This data is then analyzed nationally by Citizens Advice to spot recurring trends. These trends form a solid evidence base that is used to advocate for change.

Because this evidence is based on real people and the issues they face due to poor practices or unfair decisions, it’s hard for policy and decision-makers to ignore.

We collaborate with local and national government, MPs, policymakers, regulators, and service providers to highlight these problems and suggest necessary changes.

Through effective campaigning, we can improve policies and practices and influence changes in laws based on real facts. This can make a big difference in people’s lives, benefiting not only those who use Citizens Advice services but everyone.

Some of our previous campaigns include:

• Participating in a National Campaign: We took part in a survey investigating whether clients are pressured not to claim legacy benefits. We identified five of our clients who agreed to share their experiences.
• Advocating for Long Covid: We recommended to the national Citizens Advice Research and Campaigns team that long Covid be recognized as a medical condition eligible for disability benefits.

In line with the national campaigns, Citizens Advice Oxford is currently running two key campaigns:

• Action on Gambling Harm: This three-year program aims to help our advisers recognize gambling harm more effectively and support clients affected by it. We also want to reduce the stigma around gambling issues. As part of this, we are training our advisers to identify clients who may need special support in this area.
• Cost of Living Crisis: We are examining how the current cost of living crisis, especially the energy crisis, is impacting residents in Oxford. As part of this campaign, we’ve written to local MPs Anneliese Dodds and Layla Moran, sharing new data on the effects of rising energy bills. We’re asking them to urge the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to increase benefits in line with inflation.

By supporting our campaigns

Some of our campaigns need your help! This might involve providing evidence, signing petitions, or filling out surveys about your experiences. We’ll share details on how you can get involved whenever these opportunities come up.

By volunteering

Join our Campaigns team as a volunteer! If you have experience or interest in any of the following, we would love to hear from you:

• researchers
• media trained
• social and policy research students
• lobbyists/campaigners

Find out more at Research & Campaigns role.