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Welfare Rights Officer

Do you want to become a Welfare Rights Officer? Here is some information to help point you in the right direction:

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Welfare rights officers advise clients on benefits or tax credits. Their main aim is to help clients who are eligible for benefits or tax credits to receive their full entitlement.

Work activities include:

• making an assessment of a client's situation
• researching information using reference material and relevant websites
• giving advice on social security and tax credits legislation in confidential interviews, over the telephone, or by letter or email
• writing reports and/or appeal submissions
• helping people fill in forms to apply for benefits and/or tax credits
• representing people at appeal tribunals
• working with other organisations on behalf of clients.

Hours are typically 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday, but there may be meetings or advice sessions in the evenings or at weekends. Officers are normally based in an advice centre.

Salaries range from around £17,000 to £29,000 a year.

Welfare rights officers should:

• have an up-to-date knowledge of the benefits and tax credit system
• be able to explain social security legislation and tax credits legislation clearly
• have strong communication skills
• get on well with people from a variety of backgrounds
• be non-judgemental and deal sympathetically with clients
• keep records and use computers for word processing, databases and spreadsheets
• be interested in legal issues.

Employers include voluntary and charitable organisations, independent advice centres, local authorities, health services, law centres and housing associations.

Entrants do not always need formal qualifications. Most welfare rights officers begin by doing voluntary work. NVQs/SVQs in Advice and Guidance may be available. There is no age limit for this type of work.

Training can involve both in-house courses and external courses. It is important for officers to keep up to date, as benefit regulations can be complex and change frequently.

It may be possible to move into supervisory and management posts, or areas such as research and policy or training and consultancy.

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