Welfare Benefits Adviser
Salary: Starting @NJC Scale 11 – £24,054 (Pro-rata, salary based on experience/qualifications )
P/T 22.5 hours per week (3 days per week)
Hybrid Between Office and Home (Flexible working)
We provide free, confidential, and independent advice to help local people overcome their problems. We are a voice for our clients on the issues that matter to them.
We are seeking a special candidate to join our advice team in a role where you will make a real difference.
This is an exciting opportunity for a benefits adviser to:
- Carry out benefit checks.
- Assist clients to complete benefit claim forms both on paper and electronically.
- Assist benefit claimants with new claims and renewal forms
- Endeavour to establish the success or otherwise of each case and, if unsuccessful, discuss with the Benefits Team Lead whether they are able to offer help with a mandatory reconsideration or appeal.
- Accept referrals from the Advice Session Supervisor (ASS) team, the benefits team, local partners and from National Contracts for local clients
- Identify any other issues such as money or housing problems and discuss with the Benefits Lead/Advice Session Supervisors for guidance on further assistance
- Ensure casework conforms to the Bureau’s Quality Standards and procedure
You must have an understanding of, and a commitment to, Citizens Advice aims, principles and equal opportunities.
Benefits
- 7% pension contribution
- Holiday: 24 days pa plus Bank Holidays. 1 additional day each 12 months. Up to 4 days Christmas closure
- Death in Service insurance/ EAP schemes
- Variety of learning and development options
Closing date: 5pm on Sunday 26th November 2023
Interviews to be held: w/c 27th November 2023
Charity 1056102. Company 3191085. Financial Conduct Authority FRN: 617537
Job Description
Job Title: Welfare Benefits Adviser
Employer: Cambridge & District Citizens Advice
Responsible to: Specialist Benefits Lead
Based at: 66 Devonshire Road, Cambridge. CB1 2BL
Purpose of Job
This role is to assist and support clients with applications for welfare benefits, benefit renewals and work capability assessments. This could include UC 50’s, PIP, DLA for children, AA, ESA and other related benefits. These could be online or paper applications. The appointments would be delivered via telephone and face to face. The role will also involve supported training towards mandatory reconsiderations, benefit appeals and a focus on specialist benefits e.g. for students.
Main responsibilities
Advice and support to clients
- Carry out benefit checks.
- Assisting clients to complete benefit claim forms both on paper and electronically.
- Assisting benefit claimants with new claims and renewal forms
- Endeavour to establish the success or otherwise of each case and, if unsuccessful, discuss with the Benefits Team Lead whether they are able to offer help with a mandatory reconsideration or appeal.
- Accept referrals from the ASS team, the benefits team, local partners and from National Contracts for local clients
- Identify any other issues such as money or housing problems and discuss with the Specialist Benefits Lead/Advice Session Supervisors for guidance on further assistance
- Ensure casework conforms to the Bureau’s Quality Standards and procedure
Planning and Development
- Contribute to the business plan as required by the Bureau Management
- Advise Management on service delivery issues and problems
- Contribute to activities, procedures and systems so as to promote common practices within the advice team
- Utilise IT systems and other resources
- Participate in bureau initiatives as appropriate and contribute to the work of associated committees, working parties and projects
Service Delivery
- Provide support for clients face to face, email, video, and telephone
- Work from the office and or from home as agreed
- Ensure that systems maintained for case recording, statistics, follow up work and quality control, in partnership with other members of the team
- To ensure recording of all outcomes estimated or confirmed in casebook
- To work in accordance with data protection and ensure specific consent and authority for recording and storing of special category data
- Meet targets set by management
- Arrange appointments around the types of work allowing longer for some types of benefit forms, e.g. PIP, UC50, child DLA
- Arrange workload to maximise use of time and help the most clients
- If missed appointments liaise with Benefit lead and ASS team to see if there are any clients immediately available on task list or carry out follow to client on outcomes.
- To be a team player and attend meetings as necessary
Administration
- To ensure effective and efficient administrative systems are maintained
- Abide by the health and safety policy with regard to staff, equipment and premises with statutory requirements
- Proper case recording and recording of statistical information with regard to advice given to clients and workload
Training and development
- Keep up to date with legislation, case law, policies and procedures relating to all subject areas and undertake appropriate training
- Read relevant publications provided by the Bureau
- Attend relevant internal and external meetings as agreed with the line manager
- Prepare for and attend supervision sessions/team meetings as appropriate internally and externally
- Assist with service initiatives for the improvement of services and make recommendations where improvements can be made
- Give external talks/training to partner organisations as agreed by Line Manager
- To ensure that you make time in your own calendar, for your own development
Other duties and responsibilities
- Have a full commitment to the aims and vision for the organisation as laid out in the business plan and take part in annual processes such as business plan reviews, production of annual and other reports, etc.
- Have a commitment to on-going change management in order to achieve those aims and objectives
- Have an understanding of and commitment to, the aims and principles of the service and its equal opportunities/diversity policies
- Have an active commitment to promoting Social Policy/Research and Campaigning as a key driver for effecting a positive change for our clients
- Have a commitment to working as a team player – supporting and respecting each other in a time of limited staff resource – having a flexible approach to covering functions that may be outside a specific job
- Abide by health and safety guidelines and share responsibility for your own safety and that of colleagues
- Undertake duties in a resource efficient way, minimising impacts to the environment wherever possible
- Attend meetings, conferences and events that may entail staying away overnight; to undertake outreach work when required; .and to be able to occasionally work unsociable hours as required
- To undertake locking up responsibility when on rota or as required when working from the office
- Undertake any other duties connected with the operation of the Bureau as may be required from time to time
- To provide cover for other outreach workers during holiday or sickness periods where possible.
Person Specification
| Essential |
|
| Desirable |
|