Our impact
Learn more about the impact we have on the communities most in need
Every year, we manage millions of pounds of funding to advice organisations working in communities where legal help is hardest to reach. Here’s what that support achieves.
Who we help
people supported
issues addressed (where captured)
The people who benefit from our funding face multiple barriers. Many are experiencing poverty and have a disability.
users experiencing poverty
users with a disability
users from a racial or ethnic minority
users are women
Sami*, a single parent with two children, faced a financial crisis when her universal credit was stopped. Rent arrears accumulated, leading to an eviction notice and the family facing homelessness. Desperate for help, Sami went to Citizens Advice Solent East. Thanks to their work Sami received back payments and restoration of her Universal Credit award and now her two children have safe, sustainable housing. Sami now has the resources she needs to provide for her family while she finds work.
The difference advice makes
When people can access legal advice early, it changes outcomes and delivers tangible financial benefits. Our funded partners help clients stay in their homes, keep their jobs, and resolve debt problems before they spiral.
The reach of our funding
£
value of grants in progress
grants in progress
funded partners
Our grants support organisations to deliver advice in the ways that work for their communities, whether that’s face-to-face, over the phone, or online.
What our funded partners are telling us
Delays in funding decisions mean fewer people are getting help. A lack of certainty around the continuation of project funding has affected staff retention meaning that advice services are losing staff in need of certainty or having to make redundancies as projects start to wind down. This has affected service delivery with some partners pausing new client intake.
Conversely, funded partners with long term, core costs funding have reported improvements in infrastructure, efficiencies, and effective use of volunteers thanks to the additional capacity secure funding has provided.
Advice services naturally adapt to the specific needs of their communities. Organisations report pursuing funding to support specific user needs and developing new expertise to support of specific issues.
Citizens Advice Middlesbrough supported clients in need of EU e‑visa support thanks to specific funding available to deliver these services, Citizens Advice Solent East noted a rise in complaints involving temporary accommodation duties, and are now supporting these to progress to Ombudsman investigations.
Funding by area of law
Beyond grant making
Our impact isn’t just about the grants we distribute. We’re building a stronger sector through:
Capacity building: We deliver Funder Plus support to frontline advice providers, helping them strengthen their services and reach more people.
Collaboration: Through the Social Justice Funders Group, we bring together funders to align resources and share learning.
Evidence generation: We use data and insights from our grants and the wider sector to identify advice deserts, demonstrate the economic and social impact of advice, and direct future funding to where it’s needed most. This evidence-based approach keeps our administrative costs low and our impact high.
Informing policy: We share insights from our work with policymakers to inform funding decisions and justice system reform. When we demonstrate what works, we help shape better approaches across the sector.
You can read more about our work through our annual impact reports.
Help us create change
Demand for free legal advice continues to grow. The cost-of-living crisis, cuts to legal aid, and lack of sustainable funding mean more people need help while fewer services are available to provide it.
