North Ayrshire Citizens Advice Service

General information

Life is complicated. Sometimes people encounter challenges and problems that they don’t know how to deal with, and they need help to overcome.

These might relate to querying rights at work, understanding housing options, struggling to meet financial commitments or negotiating changes to benefits eligibility.

Sometimes these issues can be quickly resolved. Other times it’s not that simple.

More complex situations rarely come neatly packaged up as a single problem. A loss of income, for example, can affect someone’s ability to keep a roof over their head, stay out of problem debt and feed their family.

Problems can arise suddenly, affecting anyone without warning. You lose your job. You or your partner become ill. Or your relationship breaks down. In some cases there is a slow escalation - if you’d got help at the start, other issues could have been avoided.

The effect of one problem can be the cause of another. Problems multiply, creating further difficulties and often a vicious cycle. In these situations people might feel isolated or that things are out of control. This makes it hard to think clearly and to take action.

Problems often affect other aspects of people’s lives - the effect on mental wellbeing can be acute. Issues can affect family and friends too, as well as society as a whole should public services need to intervene in the short or long-term.

Knowing how to find a way forward can be challenging but we are here to help.

Contact us now for free information and advice.