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The bureau is open from 10.00am until 3.00pm
each Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
The telephone help line is manned on open days from 10.00am to 12.00 noon
and from 1.00pm to 3.00pm.
It is on the corner of Byram Street and St Peters Street
in the town centre on the far left of the park behind the Parish Church.
It works on an open access, sit and wait,
basis and visitors should allow for about an hours
wait and an hour to speak to the advisor.
Appointments can be arranged for special
cases, where clients are in full time employment or
who have special care needs.
Telephone 01484 425240 if you need an appointment
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Clients are represented at repossession court cases, Industrial Tribunals (until that specialist was cut) and appeals to Social Security Tribunals.
Each client receives as much time as required but each year there are 23,000 face to face interviews each of which takes, on average, 60 minutes. Advice is confirmed in writing and checked by a senior adviser. The level of client satisfaction can be measured by client motivation, the CAB frequently has 20 clients waiting up to three hours, and it takes about 3 weeks to get an appointment. This workload/cost ratio must be one of the best in the advice service.
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If the CAB cannot help directly it can usually refer clients to people who can
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Volunteers include retired professionals, students, housewives, job seekers and people unable to work for health reasons. They need to be able to commit about two days per week for at least twelve months in order to justify training effort and costs. There is no pay but travelling expenses can be claimed. On the positive side Volunteer advisers gain considerable skills which stand them in good stead for the rest of their lives.
Funding is required to pay the 5 salaried specialist staff, premises cost, training costs, stationery, telephone costs, travel expenses etc.
Although the CAB is nominally independant and managed by
its own management committee it has over the years become overly
dependant on a single funder, Kirklees Metropolitan Council.
Now this funding is being progressively withdrawn the future of the
Citizens' Advice Bureau in Huddersfield is becoming precarious.
Huddersfield CAB is actively seeking phased funding over three years
to preserve their staff, volunteers and independance.
If you can help with funding please let us know.
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