Whether your enquiry relates to family, consumer, employment law or something else, our free independent telephone legal advice by LawExpress can provide help (English and Welsh law).
Our comprehensive legal advice, guidance and information is available to ACA students, past and present ICAEW members, past and present ICAEW staff members and their families. To arrange to speak to an experienced legal adviser from LawExpress, contact us.
Contact CABA to ask about our legal helpline
CABA doesn't provide financial support towards legal costs and cannot represent people legally.
Benefits
Help to pay for essential things If you’re claiming benefits If you’re receiving certain income-related benefits and need help to pay for essentials like clothing, furniture or a rent deposit, you might be able to apply for a Budgeting Loan or Budgeting Advance if you are getting Universal Credit.
Children, marriage, divorce and living together
This section helps understand the legal frame work of cohabiting and civil partnerships; the arrangements involving finances and/or children during separation or divorce; options such as injunctions and court orders against domestic violence and more.
Coronavirus
If you cannot pay your rent, don’t ignore the problem. Talk to your landlord as soon as possible. Whether the problem is caused by a change of circumstances, a budgeting difficulty, or a cut in benefits, you can take some important steps you can take to help get yourself back in control and avoid eviction.
Debt
If you’re struggling to pay day-to-day bills, or to keep up with loan repayments and other financial commitments, there are a number of options open to you to help clear your debts. We outline some of the most common options you might have heard of below. However, don’t make any decisions on your own.
Employment, dismissal and grievance
An employer-employee relationship is not always plain sailing, but all employees have a right to be treated fairly in the workplace. This section covers basic statutory rights as an employee; procedures for redundancy and dismissal; grievance procedures; advice on gender recognition and more.
Goods and services
Know your rights when you encounter issues with purchasing goods and services such as how to recover money from an individual or a business, issues with builders or other tradesman, rights when buying used motor vehicles and more.
Illness and Disability
If you’ve been forced to leave employment, or work reduced hours, because of sickness or disability, there are a number of benefits you can claim. If you’re working, you might be able to claim Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), paid by your employer.
Motoring
Understanding motoring offences procedures, your rights when buying a used car, how and when to challenge an unfair parking ticket issued by an official body such as councils and the police, or private parking companies.
Mortgage
If you’re struggling with your mortgage repayments and can’t get back on track – or are worried about losing your home, the temptation may be to ignore the problem. Don’t. Here is what you can do and where you can find help.
Paying for care
If you’re working out how to pay for long-term care – for yourself or a loved one, an independent care fees adviser can offer unbiased expert advice. Find out more about what they can do for you, how they are paid and how to choose one that’s right for you.
Personal injury
A personal injury claim can arise as a result of a traffic accident, injury suffered at work, as the result of a medical procedure (referred to as medical negligence), accidents on holiday, tripping accidents and even some sports injuries.
Property, neighbours and landlord
Know and understand your rights and obligations as both a tenant and as a landlord; your statutory rights as a leaseholder; dealing with builders, neighbours and the variety of taxes you might encounter as a homeowner.
Tax
Understand Capital Gains Tax (CGT) and Inheritance tax (IHT), how they work and when they may apply or have exemptions, especially if selling or passing on assets, shares or property.
Wills, probate and powers of attorney
This section covers a variety of topics that relate to managing estates if someone passes away, as well as financial affairs or health and welfare of an individual if they are otherwise unable to manage these themselves. We also explain how to make a will and the common myths you may encounter.
Helpful advice
Real people, real stories
You don't realise when you're in it that something terrible is happening to you, but if you just reach out to CABA it can be the beginning of seeing things differently.
Your questions answered
Who is eligible for support?
CABA supports past and present members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW)1, ACA students2, ICAEW
Are your services means tested?
If you need financial support, we carry out a means test where we consider income, expenditure, capital and assets.
I am an accountant, but not a member of ICAEW, can you still help?
Our services are available to past and present ICAEW members, their carers and their families.
CABA has supported me in the past; will I be able to receive support from CABA again?
We understand that circumstances change. If you have received advice and support from us in the past there are no time limits or restrictions preventing you from receiving support from us again.