What sort of email advice does AdviceKit Manchester give?
Currently we give advice about debt, housing, consumer and welfare benefits issues. We may be able to answer some queries about other social welfare law problems but cannot guarantee this. We only give advice about issues in accordance with the law in England (United Kingdom).
Who can use this service?
We give advice to residents of the City of Manchester (UK) only. We also give advice to people who are homeless in Manchester. If you live outside of Manchester you can get help from your local advice agency such as the Citizens Advice Bureau (external link) or a Law Centre (external link). Details of advice agencies can be found on the CLS Direct website (external link).
Does it cost anything?
AdviceKit Manchester is a free service. If you use your own computer to access AdviceKit Manchester, your normal usage and Internet expenses will apply.
Who will answer my email?
In most cases, your email will be answered by an experienced adviser from Manchester Advice (external link). If, for any reason, Manchester Advice is unable to deal with your query, it will be forwarded, where appropriate, to another quality marked advice agency within Manchester such as the Citizens Advice Bureau. The response time from another organisation may be longer than five working days. We will let you know if your email has been forwarded. If you do not wish us to do this please let us know in your original request.
How soon will you reply?
We aim to reply to email enquiries within 5 working days. If the reply is likely to take longer we will let you know. If your email is forwarded to another agency, the reply may take longer than 5 days. The service may be suspended during holiday periods. You can still send in emails but replies are likely to take longer than 5 working days. Notification will be placed on the website. If your situation is urgent we recommend that you contact your local advice agency.
I have not received a reply
Sometimes, due to technical difficulties, we are unable to send replies to users of this service. The most common reasons why our email responses are not delivered are:
- We have been given an incorrect email address.
- We get a message to say that someone's mailbox is unavailable.
- We get a message to say that someone's mailbox is full.
- We get a message to say that the mailbox will not accept emails from our email address.
If you do not receive a reply from us within the time limit of five working days please check whether any of the above apply. If you are able to fix the problem, then email us again to let us know. We will re-send our email reply. It is also worth checking to see whether our reply has gone into your Spam box if you have one.
Is this email advice service secure / confidential?
There are no extra security measures, such as encryption, added to the AdviceKit Manchester email service. In reality, though, it is very unlikely that someone will try and intercept your emails. If you are concerned about this happening, you may wish to be cautious about sending any financial or identifying details to the Online Adviser.
If you use this service, we will only reply to the email address that you supply. This is to keep your query and our reply as confidential as possible.
If you share an email address at home or at work, or if your own email account is not secure, then other people may be able to read your emails and our reply. Also, the AdviceKit Manchester email address may be automatically recorded in your email address book and others may have access to this. If you are worried about these issues, you may want to get a private Webmail system with a provider such as Hotmail or Yahoo. (Please note: we are not able to recommend a particular Webmail provider.)
Get email advice now
Comments and complaints
AdviceKit Manchester welcomes comments about its services. Please help us to get better by letting us know what you think about our email service, especially if you think it could be improved. Send us your comments, feedback or complaints by using this link.
Need more help? Live in Manchester? Send us an email
Date Reviewed:
22 December 2008
This information is for guidance only and is not an authoritative statement on the law. Please read our Terms and Conditions.
FeedbackDid you find this page useful? Yes or No