Skip to content
Log in

Projects

Hammersmith & Fulham Citizens Advice (CAHF) are funded to run a number of projects on behalf of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (LBH&F) and other agencies including charitable Trusts and Foundations. The funder for each project is represented by the logos shown.

Click to jump to:

Affordability

Affordability works in partnership with Hammersmith & Fulham council to help tenants repay their housing debt in an affordable way.

This is achieved by:

  • Advising tenants on their housing and welfare benefit rights
  • Negotiating with their creditors and help creating repayment plans
  • Looking at ways to maximise their income and minimise their expenditure
  • Advising about budgeting and managing their finances better
  • Identifying sources of financial help that are available to them.

 

CLIC Sargent

Clic Sargent is the national children’s cancer charity.  It supports children and young people aged 0-25 diagnosed with cancer, and their families. We have a contract with CLIC Sargent to advise their social workers and service users on the full range of topics covered by Citizens Advice according to their advice needs, excepting immigration.  This is mostly concentrated on benefits advice, as cancer in the family almost immediately places families under financial stress when time has to be taken off work to care for a child or young person during treatment.   Many families have to claim benefits for the first time and have no knowledge or prior experience of the benefits system, unlike most Citizens Advice clients. Issues can also arise with employment as a result of the need to take time off work, and with debt as a result of reduced income.  The CLIC Sargent advice line aims to assist families with any of their advice needs in respect of any ‘social welfare law’ issues.

City Bridge Outreach

City Bridge is one of the biggest funders in London and have funded us for three years for an outreach advice project.  We work closely with our partner organisations to support those ‘hard-to-reach’ clients who need us most but have not always accessed our service.

This project is open to clients referred by the following partner organisations:

  • West London Welcome
  • Upper Room
  • Barons Court Project
  • Smart Works
  • St Andrews Church (Saturday homeless project)
  • Mind
  • Look Ahead
  • River House
  • DAWS / Turning Point
  • St. Mungo’s
  • Hestia
  • Alcohol Service (CGL)​

Debt Free Advice


Debt Free Advice provides debt advice (one off and casework) funded by the Money Advice & Pension Service in partnership with Toynbee Hall.

The project’s goal is to assist clients with debts and to find a realistic and reasonable solution in order to help clients in becoming debt free.

If you have a problem with debt and live in the London boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham, Hounslow or Barnet, please call us on 020 3137 6295, or send us an email.

We provide debt advice in the London boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham, Hounslow and Barnet.

Our advice is delivered by four paid debt advisers and a volunteer team who will conduct an initial assessment and offer you the best option for getting further help with your debts.

Energy Advice Programme

The Energy Advice Programme is a seasonal project funded by National Citizens Advice. It provides advice appointments to consumers who are struggling to pay their fuel bills, require better deals on energy, need guidance on the most appropriate payment methods or information on how to access help from energy suppliers and the Government.​

Money Skills

Our financial capability training programme is part of our 10 year LBHF contract.

Citizens Advice Hammersmith and Fulham have been delivering Financial Capability activities to groups across West London for over 15 years. Our goal is to help residents before they face money problems, to give them the skills and confidence to manage their money independently and make informed choices about financial products.​

Training is delivered by our pool of financial capability trainer volunteers to community groups, front line workers and occasionally at sessions open to the public. Topics include all aspects of basic money management – such as budgeting, saving, borrowing, debt and bank accounts.  We also deliver training on other topics such as housing issues, scams, wills, benefits and welfare reform.

If you are part of a group who might be interested in hosting a session, please contact Chris Marsh to discuss.

Foodbank


The Hammersmith & Fulham foodbanks provide short-term, emergency food to individuals and families in crisis.  The purpose of our foodbank advice project is to try to resolve the problems that caused foodbank dependency. We provide welfare advice and assistance on a variety of issues such as benefits, housing and homelessness and debt. Clients self-refer themselves to us though the Foodbank network.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Help Through Hardship

National Citizens Advice is funded by The Trussell Trust to provide a freephone helpline ​

for people who cannot afford food and helps them get an e-voucher for a local food parcel.

It also provides information and advice on the issues that are causing​ financial hardship​ in order to help move the client forwar​d.

We provide a team advisers who handle incoming calls nationwide. They help clients access food bank vouchers, and provide information and advice on the issue they are facing.​​ If c​ase work is required, clients are signposted to their LCA.

Midaye – Somali​ Development Network​

Midaye provides targeted, multi-lingual services and projects to minority ethnic communities in London to respond to abuses, improve the quality of education, the economic status, and the health and well-being of people within these communities.​ Our adviser works closely with them to assist with welfare issues relating to benefits, housing and debt.

Renters Owners Occupiers and Families (ROOF)

ROOF provides information, education and advice to support residents with housing issues aimed at preventing homelessness. The aims of the services are:

  • Maximising income and prioritising expenditure to maintain homes, services and security of tenure;
  • Homelessness prevention, tenancy sustainment and maintaining housing stability to support any employment, health or other social welfare issues;
  • Building awareness through information and education within community locations through partnership working, and provides dedicated support for people with more complex housing issues/needs; and
  • Delivering a sustainable legacy through recruitment and training of volunteers from within community organisations to build a sustainable network of trusted individuals bringing their life skills, community languages, cultural and social bonds.

TechTalk

‘TechTalk delivers free group talks to LBHF residents at Avonmore Library fortnightly.

Topics include Universal credit, Wills, Lasting Power of Attorney, Energy, as well as many more.

Clients do not need to book in for talks, they can be signposted to them and attend whichever they wish.

The talks are designed to give people a basic understanding of the topics, without going into specific detail.

Talks are delivered by Financial Capability trainers, rather than advisors and assessors. So, they cannot answer in depth questions at the talks. Clients will be signposted to F-2-F drop in after the talks.

Refreshments provided.

Booking not needed. – Contact techtalk@cahf.org.uk for more information.