Welfare Benefits Specialist

Welfare Benefits Specialist

• Job Salary: £31,194
• Team:
  Assist
• Contract Term:
  Permanent
• Location:
  
  Hybrid working (office base is in Birmingham City Centre) expectation to be in the office at least one day a week
• Hours:
  
  37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday

The Welfare Benefit Specialist plays a key role in supporting and assisting vulnerable individuals of all ages and abilities. The role involves assessing the financial and wellbeing needs of individuals based on their circumstances.

Role

Purpose:

Accountable to the Assist team manager, the Welfare Benefits Specialist will work with, support, assist and represent vulnerable people of all ages and abilities to improve their financial situation and wellbeing. You will assess people's circumstances and assist them accordingly. This will involve helping people to apply for welfare benefits, completing mandatory reconsiderations and representing them  will work with the elderly, ill, disabled and the young.

This may also include on-site consultations with clients, at NHS sites. The role will also involve supporting other advisers to help them reach their full potential and could involve some travel.

Responsibilities:

• Working with and supporting vulnerable people of all ages and abilities to try to maximise their income and improve their financial circumstances and wellbeing. You will establish a relationship based on trust to ensure you provide the necessary support and assistance;
• Develop and manage interviews with clients using sensitive listening and questioning skills in order to allow clients to explain their problem(s);
• Complete an initial assessment of a client's needs to identify areas where support is required and plan next steps/ provide support throughout the process;
• Actively encourage engagement from clients referred through to the service from both internal and external sources;
• To carry a caseload of enquiries requiring detailed ongoing casework. To maintain accurate and appropriate records relating to each case, recording all activity, interventions and outcomes within the case record whilst ensuring that correct procedures are followed, to ensure quality standards are met;
• Helping people to apply for welfare benefits, trust funds, OT assessments etc. As well as assisting with completing mandatory reconsiderations and representing people at tribunal;
• Manage your own workload, administration and diary commitments;
• Travel off site to attend dialysis units where required;
• To ensure a high-quality service to customers including, but not limited to, face to face, telephone, written and emails;
• Work with colleagues, stakeholders and health and social care professionals to evaluate caseload needs and the progress that has been made;
• To keep up to date and share knowledge with the team on legislation, case law, policies and procedures and undertake appropriate training as and when required;
• Able to proactively identify own training and development needs and those of others;
• Ability to work within and adhere to organisational policies and procedures and ensure work meets internal and external SLAs;
• Comply with the requirements of GDPR; and
• Carry out other duties commensurate with the post as required.

Key Skills and Attributes:

• Be required to hold an enhanced disclosure barring certificate;
• Have an in-depth and up to date understanding of the welfare benefits system;
• Knowledge of services provided by the NHS, social care, trust funds and/or debt services;
• Experience of providing a specialist tribunal service or other representation to customers;
  Effective active listening techniques;
• Being able to understand and encourage others to contribute and debate ideas;
• Organisational skills;
• Focused on continuous improvement;
• Adaptable interpersonal skills both in formal and informal situations;
• High level written, verbal and presentation skills;
• Ability to monitor and maintain own performance targets;
• A flexible approach and ability to work as part of a team effectively to meet all objectives and targets;
• Educated to GCSE level (or equivalent by experience);
• At least 2 years' experience in the advice sector;
• Experience of providing a specialist tribunal service or other representation to customers;
• Excellent and up to date working knowledge of the benefits system.