Our Impact
Citizens Advice North Hertfordshire’s vision is to see asociety where people face far fewer problems.
2025/2026 was a challenging year as inflation and the increasing cost of essentials continues to affect everyone in our community.
We have unmet demand and the people we help locally are often in crisis and have increasingly complex issues. Your support will enable us help more people who need us, now and in years to come.
How you can help grow our impact
Donate
Volunteer
Partnerships
What Difference Did We Make?
Each year we give around 7,000 residents of North Hertfordshire the knowledge and confidence to find a way forward. We do this by providing advice, education and support, and influencing policies and practices that affect our clients. Everything we do and the way we work, benefits individuals and our local communities.
People are financially better off as a result of our advice.
We generated £2,559,068 in financial outcomes for our clients in 2025/26. These financial outcomes include benefits gained, debts managed, debts written off and refunds gained.
This means that people have more money in their pocket, are better able to manage any debt and have increased confidence in managing their money and budgets.
People’s health is improved as a result of our advice.
Our free, confidential advice helps people overcome practical problems and improve their wellbeing.
- 69% of clients told us their mental health improved after receiving our advice, while 43% reported better physical health and wellbeing.
- By resolving issues such as money worries, housing problems, and employment concerns, our support helps people cope more effectively with everyday life — strengthening relationships, reducing stress, and enabling people to remain in work or move into employment.
Trusted, Effective and Accessible Support
Our clients consistently rate us highly for the quality and impact of our service:
- 92% would recommend our advice service to others
- 90% said we helped them move forward
- 84% said their problem was resolved
- 83% found our service easy to access
These results show how timely, practical advice and support can create meaningful, long‑term improvements in people’s lives, health, and financial stability.
Our Value to Society
As well as having a positive effect on individuals, our advice outcomes create a wider impact on our local community.
For every £1 invested in CANH in 2024/25 we generated *:
- £2.94 in savings to government and public services (fiscal benefits)
- £17.98 in wider economic and social benefits (public value)
- £11.06 in financial value to the people we help (specific outcomes to individuals)
*Data from National Citizens Advice’s Treasury approved financial data modelling tool
What did we help with?
We can help with a broad range of issues. Last year our top seven issues were:
Client Stories
Sarah’s Story
Sarah and her husband are disabled and live with their children in private rented accommodation. Sarah’s disability causes her significant pain, restricts her mobility and affects her ability to stand or sit for long periods of time. She attends a pain clinic, is on medication from her GP for depression and anxiety, and has been referred to the NHS Wellbeing Service. Her husband is studying a university course and does casual delivery work. The couple receive various benefits, including Universal Credit.
A Work Capability Assessment had deemed Sarah fit for work and she approached Citizens Advice for support in challenging the decision. Following an unsuccessful mandatory reconsideration, our adviser helped Sarah to lodge an appeal. The tribunal upheld the appeal and classed Sarah as having limited capability for work and work-related activity. As a result, Sarah and her husband receive over £350 extra a month on their Universal Credit claim.
Olive’s Story
Olive, aged 50, has two part-time jobs that earn her approximately £600 per month. She lives with her partner and elder son, who are both employed in the construction industry, and her teenage son. When Olive contacted CANH, the family were already struggling financially owing to the cost of living crisis. Now, with her partner soon to be made redundant, the family were confronted with a sudden drop in income of £400 a week. Olive wondered how the family would be able to afford the basics and make ends meet.
Our adviser carried out a full benefit check on Olive’s behalf. He discovered that she was entitled to more than £250 Universal Credit per month and talked her through the application process. Owing to the family’s short-term financial crisis, he also issued a fuel voucher and a supermarket voucher. Together, these amounted to £200 of immediate financial assistance. Olive was immensely grateful for the help given and shared her positive experience on social media.
Client Feedback
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Our Projects
Our General Advice service, funded by North Herts Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council, provides information, signposting and advice. It also provides access to our range of funded projects that enable us to provide specialist or casework services. Our current projects are:
Financial Inclusion
- Letchworth Financial Health provides debt and benefits advice, financial capability workshops, and community outreach on all things money in Letchworth(funded by the Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation)
- Trussell Trust Financial Inclusion provides specialist debt and benefits advice to Food Bank users (funded by the Trussell Trust)
- Crisis Intervention provides debt and benefits casework for those with urgent and complex needs(funded by Hertfordshire County Council)
- Disability Benefits Form Filling(funded by the Graham Rowlandson Foundation)
- Welfare Benefits Appeals: our clients benefit from the services of a county-wide benefits appeals specialist(funded by Hertfordshire County Council and based at Citizens Advice Stevenage)
Housing
- Homelessness Prevention is a service for those with rent and mortgage arrears, including court desk representation (funded by North Herts Council)
Advice in British Sign Language
- Our clients benefit from the services of a county-wide BSL adviser(funded by Hertfordshire County Council and based at Citizens Advice Welwyn-Hatfield)