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Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford @citizensadvicesort.bsky.social · 23h

Living with dementia is challenging enough without money worries.
That’s why we’ve launched a new Dementia Support Service in Rochdale & Oldham-helping people with dementia and their families access vital support.
👉 Learn more: https://bit.ly/3VWwduq

Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford @citizensadvicesort.bsky.social · 1d

This powerful quote shows how this scheme transforms more than just bank accounts- it's helping children learn better. 📚

A quote by Assistant Headteacher at Barton Clough Primary School in Manchester reads “Money Matters has added an extra string to our pastoral bow, and in these times that matters. All too often it turns out that families are not receiving what they are entitled to. One family at our school is better off by £1,000 per month. Most of all we’ve seen pupils’ focus and concentration improve. Children are better able to learn when they are fed, wearing the correct uniform and unencumbered by the sorts of money worries that ought to be the preserve of parents.”

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Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford @citizensadvicesort.bsky.social · 1d

With an estimated £24 billion in benefits going unclaimed, we're proud to support the @resolvepoverty.org Money Matters programme, partnering with schools to help families access over £500,000 in benefits.
📖 Read this short update by advisers Sabah and Manjeet ⤵️
shorturl.at/TCJvI

New Resolve Poverty research: Empower our places to end child poverty

Resolve Poverty is pleased to launch new research: Empower our places: how can further devolution support the national mission to end child poverty?

www.resolvepoverty.org

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Reposted by Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford

Citizens Advice @citizensadvice.bsky.social · 4d

⚠️ Over £106M was lost to romance fraud last year.

❌ Never send money to someone you haven't met in person.

Romance fraudsters build trust, then ask for cash - often with emotional and convincing stories.

Find out more: actionfraud.police.uk/romance-fraud

Digital advertisement from the National Anti-Fraud Centre depicts two individuals using smartphones, with a cautionary message about online relationship scams. The text reads, 'Do you really know who you're talking to? Romance fraud is on the rise,' emphasizing the importance of verifying identities in online interactions.

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Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford @citizensadvicesort.bsky.social · 7d

❤️ Policy and advocacy are at the heart of what we do.
Swipe through to see some of the unfair issues we recorded In September, and see how we use evidence to improve services, influence policy, and push for fairer processes ⬇️

Text reads Each year we help tens of thousands of people. That gives us a unique perspective on where policies and systems work- and where they fall short.

In September our advisers reported a range of unfair issues including: -people unable to contact council services by phone- leaving those offline without access to vital support, tenants overcharged on energy by landlords, and threatened with eviction if they complain.- Errors during managed migration to universal credit leaving people hundreds of pounds worse off.

We record these issues through evidence forms so we can: spot problems early, show the real impact on peoples lives, expose unfair systems and policies. This evidence helps us improve local services, influence national policy and push for fairer, more accessible support.

Policy and advocacy are at the heart of everything we do. Every piece of evidence strengthens our voice and helps ensure services work better for the people who need them.

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Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford @citizensadvicesort.bsky.social · 8d

Following our campaign efforts urging the government to scrap the two child limit, we welcome the news that positive changes are set to be announced in this area in the Autumn Budget. We hope to see a complete abolition of the rule, which would see thousands of children lifted out of poverty.

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Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford @citizensadvicesort.bsky.social · 9d

🎙️Since April, our advisers have been taking to the airwaves! On @rochvalleyradio.com, we’re helping tens of thousands across Greater Manchester understand scams, energy support, benefits, and more.
Read our latest blog ⤵️
shorturl.at/UJRDZ

On Air and In the Know: Sharing Advice Across Greater Manchester

Since April, Citizens Advice SORT Group has been taking to the airwaves on Roch Valley Radio’s popular community slot, sharing advice with…

shorturl.at

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Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford @citizensadvicesort.bsky.social · 9d

We are proud to support End Furniture Poverty's campaign for at least 10% of social homes to be furnished, lifting thousands of people out of furniture poverty, providing them with the essential items they desperately need. endfurniturepoverty.org/make-a-house...

Make a House a Home - End Furniture Poverty

endfurniturepoverty.org

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Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford @citizensadvicesort.bsky.social · 9d

🏡Kassie's experience reflects what our advisers often see-families moving into homes with unsafe flooring and no means to buy their own. Toddlers crawling on bare nails or draughty floorboards increasing already high energy bills. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Carpet poverty: 'I cried when I saw our new home had bare floors'

Kassie lives in social housing, where landlords do not have to provide flooring in the bedrooms.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford @citizensadvicesort.bsky.social · 9d

💡We turn this evidence and insight into action: improving processes, informing policy, and making services fairer and more accessible. Every case strengthens our insight and helps push for change at a local, regional and national level.

Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford @citizensadvicesort.bsky.social · 9d

📝In September our advisers flagged a range of unfair issues across Greater Manchester, including: clients who can’t access online services struggling to contact councils by phone, being overcharged on energy by landlords, UC errors leaving people out of pocket & disability benefits wrongly stopped.

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Reposted by Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford

CAST - Centre for the Acceleration of Social Technology @techforgoodcast.bsky.social · 11d

🆕 Shared Digital Guide!

@citizensadvicesort.bsky.social share the steps they took when building CaseNote, a speech‑to‑text and AI summarisation tool.

The tool is designed to halve the time spent writing case notes, whilst still preserving advice‑quality standards and data privacy 👉 buff.ly/7Ilx5D4

buff.ly

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Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford @citizensadvicesort.bsky.social · 13d

📚 Starting university this year?

We have written a quick guide on practical tips and advice to help you settle in and get through this transitional period.

We cover managing money, forming new friendships, the practicalities of moving out and looking after your mental health:

↪️ bit.ly/3Vyn7Ea

Students: A Quick Guide to Your First Term at University

As a new academic year begins, there’s a sense of anticipation and fresh beginnings.

medium.com

Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford @citizensadvicesort.bsky.social · 15d

Lucy, our Community Adviser, featured on Roch Valley Radio yesterday to discuss important consumer issues such as: your statutory rights as a consumer, how to complain when you're dissatisfied and the role of the Trading Standards.
🔊Catch us on Roch Valley Radio monthly.
Next session➡️22nd October 📻

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Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford @citizensadvicesort.bsky.social · 15d

🖊️ We’ve written to our local MPs ahead of the Autumn Budget, urging them to press for action on living standards. Our 3 core asks: uprate Local Housing Allowance, scrap the 2-child limit & benefit cap, and ensure families can cover essential bills this winter.

Graphic with silhouette of a Ciitizens Advice adviser holding some papers, with the text -Our 3 Core Asks for the Autumn Budget: -Unfreeze and uprate Local Housing Allowance, -scrap the two-child limit and benefit cap, and -bring forward better bill support for water and other essential utilities.

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Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford @citizensadvicesort.bsky.social · 16d

💡 Ofgem’s changes on standing charges won’t cut bills - lower charges just mean a higher cost per unit for energy.
Tinkering at the edges won’t help people this winter. We need long-term, targeted support for households facing record energy prices ⤵️
https://shorturl.at/NSTLZ

Energy standing charge options coming, but they might not cut bills

The regulator's plans could be in place by the end of January, but it warns total bills won't fall.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford @citizensadvicesort.bsky.social · 17d

Living with dementia is challenging enough without money worries.
That’s why we’ve launched a new Dementia Support Service in Rochdale & Oldham-helping people with dementia and their families access vital support.
👉 Learn more: https://bit.ly/3VWwduq

Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford @citizensadvicesort.bsky.social · 17d

Absolutely, for those we support, being in work isn’t a guarantee of financial resilience. The share of full-time workers we help with debt issues who are in a negative budget went up by 40% between 2019 and 2024 📈

Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford @citizensadvicesort.bsky.social · 18d

⚠️ Peoples' needs are becoming more complex.

But how can we get help to the people who need it more quickly?

Join @citizensadvice.bsky.social on Thursday 25 September, 2-3pm to hear more ⬇️
https://bit.ly/43QfkoL

#CADataInsights

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Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford @citizensadvicesort.bsky.social · 22d

💬 This feedback shows just how valuable face-to-face advice is.
Alongside online and phone support, our advice sessions in community locations such as libraries, community centres, and churches keep advice close to home.

More: https://www.citizensadvicegm.org.uk/facetoface

Text in a speech bubble stating "How wonderful and rare it is to be able to deal with people face to face!"

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Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford @citizensadvicesort.bsky.social · 23d

This reflects what we're seeing - Citizens Advice services helped with over 10,000 council tax debt problems in the last year alone, with council tax arrears being the second most common debt issue we see.

Reposted by Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford

Citizens Advice @citizensadvice.bsky.social · 24d

🏡 Our research has found 4.5 million renters in England and Wales had to ration gas and electricity to afford their energy bills last winter.

Read more ⤵️
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/sep/15/more-than-40-of-private-renters-ration-energy-use-to-afford-bills-study-finds

Text reads, 'More than 40% of renters are forced to ration gas and electricity to afford their energy bills'.

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Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford @citizensadvicesort.bsky.social · 25d

Unfortunately, stigma also plays a role. Some people tell us they feel these benefits aren’t “for them” or are reluctant to claim even when struggling. Tackling this is key to ensuring everyone can access the support they need to live well.

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Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford @citizensadvicesort.bsky.social · 25d

Application processes are another big barrier - from form filling to providing evidence, sometimes multiple times. We understand how challenging this can be, and organisations like ours are here to support people through it.

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Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford @citizensadvicesort.bsky.social · 25d

Many people we help don’t know about benefits like Pension Credit, Carer’s Allowance, Universal Credit & Council Tax Support - or assume they won’t qualify.

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