Welfare Rights Officer

Purpose of Role

To provide holistic advice on a range of welfare benefits issues. To offer clients advice and information to maximise their income and to ensure they are receiving the correct entitlements. This will include conducting full benefit checks, better off calculations, assisting clients with revision, supersessions and appeals of benefit decisions and also helping clients to navigate their benefit claims.

The role will also require advice on all areas of entitlements for clients such as energy, charitable applications or assistance with health costs.

The role requires someone with experience or understanding of the benefits system, ideally in the provision of advice, information and representation. Someone who can evidence similar transferable skills in another setting may also be considered. This role suits a resilient and empathetic person who can work under pressure but enjoys the challenges of advice delivery and can work in a non-judgemental, impartial, confidential manner.

The role offers a supportive and friendly environment where we work to provide our community with advice, information and options to allow informed choices. It also provides opportunities for continuous development and training.

• Advice Giving
  • Ensure income maximisation through the take up of appropriate benefits.
  • Prepare and present cases to the appropriate statutory bodies, tribunals and courts as appropriate.
  • Assist clients with other related problems where they are an integral part of their case and refer to other advisers or specialist agencies as appropriate.
  • Provide advice and assistance to other staff across the whole range of issues.
  • Maintain case records for continuity of casework, information retrieval and statistical monitoring and report preparation.
  • Ensure work conforms to the bureau's systems and procedures.
  • Negotiate with third parties such as statutory and non‑statutory bodies as appropriate.
  • Ensure work conforms to the bureau's Quality Standards at the appropriate level.
• Social Policy
  • Assist with social policy work by providing information about clients' circumstances through the appropriate channel.
  • Alert clients to social policy options.
• Professional Development
  • Keep up to date with legislation, policies and procedures and undertake appropriate training.
  • Attend relevant internal and external meetings as agreed with the line manager.
  • Prepare for and attend supervision sessions, team meetings and staff meetings as appropriate.
• Administration
  • Use IT for statistical recording, record keeping and document production.
  • Ensure that all work conforms to the bureau's systems and procedures.
• Other Duties and Responsibilities
  • Carry out any other tasks that may be within the scope of the post to ensure the effective delivery and development of the service.
  • Demonstrate commitment to the aims and policies of the CAB service.
  • Abide by health and safety guidelines and share responsibility for own safety and that of colleagues.

• Evidenced understanding of welfare benefits and advice provision, or comparable transferable skills.
• Understanding of, and commitment to, the aims and principles of the CAB service and its equal opportunities policies.
• Ability to give and receive feedback objectively and sensitively, and willingness to challenge constructively.
• Ability to monitor and maintain own standards.
• High level of written and oral communication skills.
• Understanding of the issues affecting society and their implications for clients and service provision.
• Ability to use IT in the provision of advice.
• Flexibility and willingness to work as part of a team.
• Willingness to learn and develop skills in advice topics.
• Willingness to train other staff or volunteers and provide second tier advice.
• Ability to research, analyse and interpret complex information.
• Numeracy skills required to understand statistics and check calculations.
• Understanding of and respect for the volunteer‑led ethos of CAB and ability to reflect this in day‑to‑day work.