Welfare rights adviser
Welfare rights advisers give free advice to the public to help them get the financial support they are entitled to.
Also known as: Welfare benefits adviser, welfare rights officer
- Starter salary£23,000 a year
- Experienced£42,000 a year
- Typical hours16 to 37 a week
What you'll do
As a welfare rights adviser, you could:
- work with clients to check they are claiming all the support they are entitled to
- help clients with paper and online form filling
- advise clients about appeals and support them at tribunals
- update case notes and confidential records
- train staff and volunteers
- keep up to date with welfare laws and reforms
- work with benefits agencies, local authorities and charities
Your exact duties will depend on your role and level of responsibility within your organisation.
Working environment
You could work in the community, at a client's home, in a court, in an NHS or private hospital or at an outreach centre.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- a desire to help people
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- maths skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- the ability to work well with others
- excellent verbal communication skills
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to become a welfare rights adviser
You can get into this job through:
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- volunteering
- applying directly
Apprenticeship
You may be able to apply to do a Revenues and Welfare Benefits Practitioner Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship.
This is sometimes offered by organisations like housing associations and local councils .
Entry requirements
Employers will set their own entry requirements.
Work
You could start as an admin assistant with an advice organisation and gain experience before taking further training in welfare rights.
Some organisations offer trainee adviser roles. You might start out giving general advice and referring clients to relevant services, or help them to fill in forms.
Numeracy and literacy skills are very important. Employers also value good communication skills and the ability to understand complex written information.
Work in similar fields like community support or with a local authority can be helpful.
Volunteering
A common way to start is by volunteering in an advice centre.
As a volunteer, you would receive training in interviewing skills and advice topics, including welfare rights. It can take between 6 and 12 months to get enough experience to apply for jobs.
You can search for volunteering opportunities through:
- Do It
- The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)
- rightsnet
Direct application
You can apply to an advice agency for a range of different jobs, or for a trainee position.
Experience of supporting people with welfare rights issues can be helpful, for example:
- working out eligibility for support
- making claims
- challenging decisions
Personal experience of dealing with the benefits system can also be useful.
A background in working with the public may also give you an advantage.
This might include:
- advice roles with a local council or Jobcentre Plus
- tenancy support roles, for example with housing associations
- work in the legal or finance professions
- community outreach
- care support work or counselling
Once working, your employer will give you training in welfare rights advice.
Restrictions and requirements
You'll need to:
- pass enhanced background checks
Career path and progression
With experience and training, you could become a team leader or advice centre manager.
You may wish to specialise, for instance, working with:
- older people
- people with disabilities
- specific benefits, like Universal Credit
You might also move into policy research or business development.
Career tips
Gaining experience by volunteering or working in a related role where you support people on low incomes can give you an advantage when applying for jobs.
The ability to speak a community language or British Sign Language can be helpful for some work.
Professional and industry bodies
You could join the National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers for networking opportunities, access to resources and to share information on best practice.
Guides for this industry
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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0