About Us - St Luke's Advice Service

Read Our Vision for 2025

St Luke’s Advice Service is a registered charity, providing free welfare benefit and debt advice to people in need across the city of Brighton & Hove.

From our office at the Brighthelm Centre, our dedicated team of staff and volunteers provide one to one support for those who are struggling to claim the benefits they need and/or need help with managing debt.

Our team’s knowledge and expertise in the areas of money advice and welfare benefits help people overcome their financial struggles. However, it is our team’s compassion that helps people to feel whole again, feel connected to their communities and able to get back on with their lives.

We strive to achieve best practice in all aspects of diversity and inclusion. We are affiliated to St Luke’s Church, Prestonville and Christian values are central to our work; this does not constrain who we help, we are open to everyone and are proud to serve the whole community.

The Impact We Have

I can’t thank my adviser enough for all the time and effort put into my case, for being so approachable and understanding without judgement. I would not have achieved the decision made without all her help and support. I am truly grateful. Thank you.

Thank you for the support that I received; without the support I would have been unable to do this without the help. It also helped reduce some of the anxiety I had.

At the time when I felt there were no way I could handle the pressures of debt and debt collectors when I saw everything dark and no hope, St Luke’s Advice Service came to my rescue. They offered me a ray of hope, a bright end at that long, horribly long tunnel. My adviser was genuinely concerned, helpful and comforting, very friendly, sympathetic and professional. She gave that humane presence which you need at that time of crisis. I can keep on writing….!

Just an extra ‘huge’ thank you all round for being so prompt, helpful and so friendly, most of all for making me feel taken care of.

The adviser I dealt with was so kind, empathetic and encouraging. The help they gave me made one of the most challenging times of my life much easier to handle. Thank you for the amazing service you provide!

Just top praise you all for providing an essential brilliant service and for people who need your help. My adviser had a lovely empathetic manner when she was filling in my form for PIP, she put me at ease and make the whole process non-stressful! Thanks again, I really appreciate all your help!

Without the support of my adviser, I would not have been able to face the tribunal. Thank you so much.

We helped 816 people last year

45% MORE clients than the previous year

3994 contacts made to our service

increase of 70% compared to the previous year

90%

of clients felt less anxious about their situation after receiving help

95%

Felt they had been supported to resolve the problem they came to us with.

892

Welfare Benefit and Debt cases

100%

Felt they were treated fairly and would recommend our service to others.

Over £1.3M

of annualised benefits awarded to our clients

Helping people to secure the benefits they desperately need

We succeeded in 85% of Benefit Tribunals last year

Guiding our clients through the appeal process and giving moral support at tribunals when we can

Almost £550k in debt managed/written off with the help of our advice team

Our team's knowledge, expertise, commitment and compassion is what enables them to help so many people through difficult times

We have been audited by Recognising Excellence on behalf of the Advice Services Alliance and have proudly held the Advice Quality Standard (AQS) for many years. The AQS is an award granted to organisations providing the highest quality of advice.

As we provide money advice, St Lukes Advice Service is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA Reference Number 626265).

St Luke’s Advice Service is an active member within two partnership organisations led by Citizens Advice Brighton & Hove, Advice Matters and Moneyworks. We are proud to provide a key service to people in need across our city, working alongside Brighton Housing Trust, Money Advice Plus, YMCA Youth Advice Centre, Possibility People, Hangleton & Knoll Project, Wave Community Bank and Brighton Unemployed Centre Families Project.