News
Easter Holiday opening times
Our services will be closed on:
Good Friday 3rd April 2026
Easter Monday 6th April 2026
We are sorry for inconvenience caused. We will reopen as normal on Tuesday 7th April.
24/7 information is available on www.citizensadvice.org.uk
VACANCY: Chair of the Board of Trustees
We are looking for a new Chair of the Board of Trustees (Volunteer) to join us at Citizens Advice Shropshire.
Citizens Advice Shropshire is seeking a visionary and strategic leader to become our next Chair of the Board of Trustees. This is a unique opportunity to guide a respected local charity through a period of exciting transformation — and help shape the future of free advice services for the people of Shropshire.
The successful candidate will formally take on the role no later than November 2026, following election by the Trustee Board.
Time Commitment
Approximately 1–2 days per month, including quarterly board meetings and occasional events.
How to Apply
To learn more about the role or ask questions on the application process, contact our current Chair, Chris Boote at ChrisBoote@cabshropshire.org.uk
Apply now by completing the Trustee application form
Join Us. Lead Us. Help Us Make Shropshire Stronger.
Keeping Warm: Photo Project, Finding the Welcome & Introduction Session Location
Welcome & Introduction Sessions will be held at The Hive, 5 Belmont, Shrewsbury, SY1 1TE on:
- Tuesday, 20 January from 10:00am-12:00pm
- Saturday, 7 February from 2:00pm-4:00pm
- Tuesday, 24 February from 12:00pm-2:00pm
When the safety net fails: Experiences of navigating local support services during the cost of living crisis
In Winter 2022/23 we surveyed and interviewed people of Shropshire to find out about the impact of rising costs on their lives. The people we spoke to told us they have to make tough choices with their money all day, every day, with no room for errors.
“We’re in a position where the income coming into the house is way less than the bills going out. We have been in an immensely difficult position for a very long period.”
For those we spoke to, this balancing act was often impossible. It was common for people to have gone without essentials such as adequate shelter and food.
In this report, we explore learnings from conversations we had on the local support system in Shropshire, along with recommendations for how we can work together to best support residents facing financial crises. By sharing lived experiences, we want to raise awareness of the stigma people face when accessing support.
Key themes that emerged from this research are:
- Navigating the social support system is not an easy task for people in Shropshire.
- Stigma is huge, but positive experiences of support can help to alleviate it.
- Not Having access to enough support has far-reaching implications for people’s lives.
- The cost of living is hitting Shropshire harder because of its rurality.
- The national safety net sets context for local support.
Based on those 5 key areas we recommend:
Partnership working
Shropshire needs a coordinated approach if we are to support our residents effectively.
- Our local system needs to effectively triage those seeking support.
- Shropshire’s key forum for partnership working, the Social Taskforce, must continue and be adequately resourced.
- Ongoing training for staff and volunteers to ensure they feel confident in helping people to navigate the system.
- Data sharing between organisations to help proactively identify local residents who may be in need of support.
Support system design
Local services should be designed to protect people’s dignity and help individuals to come forward for support.
- There should be multiple points of entry to access support. There must be alternatives to digital, and some face-to-face support available in each town.
- Services should be trauma-informed and raise awareness of the challenges and stigma caused by financial difficulty.
- Review and improve the design of application systems for local support to ensure it is distributed fairly. Clear and transparent criteria for local support schemes and simple and accessible forms are particularly important.
- There should be a preference for a ‘cash first’ approach when delivering local crisis support.
Recognition of the value of the local voluntary sector
The voluntary sector plays a vital role in local support systems, but resources are needed to be able to do this.
- Invest in building trusted relationships across sectors. Clear communication and recognition of the expertise, professionalism and reach of the sector will help to make sure that all players in the local support system feel like equal partners.
- Identify funding for local advice services. Local advice services bring more money to the local economy by encouraging uptake of underclaimed benefits. They also save other services money by preventing people from falling into crisis and costing the local system more in the long-term.
- Funding for the voluntary sector needs to be future proofed, to ensure the sector is able to recruit and retain the skilled staff it needs.
Advocating for ‘big picture’ change
While there is much change that can be effected at a local level, it is important to make sure the wider context of the challenges we face is not forgotten.
- Local leaders and decision-makers should advocate for changes in the funding formula for rural areas to ensure it accurately reflects the needs of a rural population and the additional costs of delivering services in rural counties.
We want to thank everyone who engaged with this research project. Most of all those who agreed to be interviewed. We recognise that sharing your personal experiences and perspectives was not easy. We want to thank you for your time, courage and openness.
Citizens Advice urges more support as cost-of-living crisis mounts in Shropshire
Citizens Advice Shropshire is warning that – without further government action – people across Shropshire risk falling into severe hardship in order to shoulder energy price hikes.
The local charity, which has seen the number of people needing help with energy debts increase by 21% since last year, has found that:
- 19% in West Midlands are currently unable to afford energy bills, even if they cut back or fall behind on other essentials
- This jumps to 32% of people after the energy price cap hike on 1st April
Citizens Advice Shropshire is calling for urgent government help. Firstly by increasing benefits in April in line with the current rate of inflation, rather than last September’s rate. And secondly, by offering further support to prevent families once again choosing between heating and eating in October when the price cap is predicted to rise again.
Alison, Advisor at Citizens Advice Shropshire said:
“We talk to Shropshire residents every day and we have noticed a huge increase in people who don’t know how they will make ends meet. A typical working family, who were just about managing, are now needing to turn to Foodbanks to feed their children, and are falling behind with their household bills. The huge increase in energy bills feels like the final straw.”
Jackie Jeffrey, Chief Officer of Citizens Advice Shropshire said:
“At Citizens Advice Shropshire we’re seeing first hand that the budgets of people across Shropshire are being pushed to the brink.
“Current measures announced by the government don’t go far enough. Only 7% of people across the region think the energy rebate will make a significant difference to their ability to pay their energy bill from October. If the government doesn’t at least increase benefits to match the current rate of inflation, many more households will be pushed to crisis point.”