James' story

I moved to industry after 6 and a half years in practice, and spent the last few years broadening out my skills, going beyond accounting to gain experience in strategy, HR and finance. I was working in London at a job that was very well paid but it wasn't great. It was long hours, high stress and I was being micromanaged. I knew it was affecting my long-term wellbeing, so one day I chose to leave. It was quite impulsive really.

After I left my job, friends and colleagues were suggesting I set up my own practice and become a consultant, and that really appealed to me. I decided to go for it. I moved back to my hometown, Manchester, and set up a company offering business advice. As I started doing research for setting up the business, I came across caba and found out that they offer business grants.

I called caba and explained what I was doing to find out if I was eligible for a grant. They were really helpful. I filled out a form explaining my circumstances in detail. From the information I provided they explained I was eligible not just for a business grant, but also a relocation grant to support my move back to Manchester and career coaching too.

I was really excited. It wasn't just about the financial help - it was that I had someone who believed in me and could support me in a number of different ways. It boosted my confidence and took away a lot of the stress and worry about starting up business on my own. The coaching gave me someone to bounce ideas and concerns off when I was working on my own and it made all the difference.

I've been in business now for 18 months, and things are going from strength to strength. I have opportunities coming out of my ears! If caba hadn't been there, it would have taken me much longer to get to where I am now and it could have meant a lot of hardship too. This experience completely opened my eyes to the support available to people in this profession. caba is there for everyone, not just those in desperate need.

Accountants are programmed to think they should be able to do things on their own and not need support from a charity. But it's better to think of caba as a professional body that exists to help you grow and prosper. I'm so glad that I got in touch with them.

how caba can help

caba supports the wellbeing of past and present ICAEW members, ACA students, ICAEW staff members, and their spouses, partners and children up to the age of 25. For advice, information and support please:

training and events

view all training and events 

your questions answered 

Who is eligible for support?

We support past and present members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW), ACA students, ICAEW staff members, and the family and carers of members and students. 

  1. No matter where your career takes you, past and present members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England Wales (ICAEW) are eligible for caba’s services for life, even if you change your career and leave accountancy 
  2. ACA students (ICAEW Provisional Members) who are either an active student or have been an active student within the last three years are eligible for caba's services 
  3. Past and present staff members of the ICAEW or caba are eligible for caba's services for life, even if you leave either organisation. Please note, for former employees, our financial support is only available to those who have had five years continuous employment with either organisation 
  4. Family members and carers of either an eligible past or present ICAEW member, ACA student or past or present employee of the ICAEW or caba are eligible for caba's support. We define a family member as a: 
    1. spouse, civil partner or cohabiting partner 
    2. widow, widower or surviving civil partner who has not remarried or cohabiting with a partner 
    3. divorced spouse or civil partner who has not remarried or cohabiting with a partner 
    4. child aged up to 25. Please note, children aged between 16 and 25 are not eligible for individual financial support 
    5. any other person who is dependent on the eligible individual supporting them financially or are reliant on the eligible individual’s care 
    6. any other person on whom the eligible individual is reliant, either financially or for care 

You can find out more about our available support both in the UK and around the world on our support we offer page and by using our interactive eligibility tool

Are your services means-tested?

If you need financial support, we carry out a means test where we consider income, expenditure, capital and assets.  

*Please note none of our other services are means-tested. 

I’m an accountant, but not a member of ICAEW, can you still help?

Unfortunately not. We only support past and present ICAEW members, their carers and their families. If we are unable to support you, where possible we will point you to help elsewhere.

caba has supported me in the past; can I receive support from caba again?

We understand that circumstances change. If we’ve helped you in the past there’s no reason why we can’t help you again. You can contact us at any time. Please call us if you need our help.

view more questions



Not got the answer to your question?