The role
Over its 20-year history, the Macmillan Welfare Rights Team has raised over £33 million in income for thousands of clients living with cancer and other long-term health conditions. Our advisers serve a unique client group who are often living through the hardest moments of their lives. We have an exciting opportunity to be part of this friendly, supportive and collaborative team whilst undertaking an incredibly rewarding role.
The successful candidate will be providing welfare benefits advice to maximise income for clients and their families who are treated at the RUH and/or supported by Dorothy House. These clients will have cancer, MND, MS and other life shortening conditions.
We would love to receive applications from candidates with previous casework experience. The successful candidate will be highly motivated, passionate about working with vulnerable people and dedicated to empowering individuals to navigate difficult circumstances with confidence. They will be driven by a desire to help others, providing compassionate, person-centred support that enables clients and their families to access the assistance they need and improve their quality of life.
We value diversity and promote equality and would welcome suitably qualified people with disabilities and minority ethnic applicants as these groups are under-represented in our workforce.
Welfare Benefits Adviser specific responsibilities
- Explain welfare benefit rules and who can claim, checking that clients are claiming all the benefits they are entitled to.
- Discuss options and courses of action with clients.
- Experience of preparing and submitting benefits appeals
- Support clients to complete their forms, other paperwork as necessary, make telephone calls regarding a client’s benefit issue and following up on mandatory reconsiderations and appeals.
- Liaise closely with stakeholders including Cancer Information Centre staff at the Royal United Hospital, Dorothy House etc.
- Help clients get ready for appeals.
- Link with the Department for Work and Pensions and other organisations as necessary on be-half of the client and act as their advocate.
- Signpost clients to other appropriate organisations if our service does not meet their needs.
- Keep up to date confidential records using CA systems
- Manage your own workload and ensure you are able to meet deadlines.
- Train and mentor volunteers to support welfare benefits clients.
- Keep up to date with relevant legal and policy changes and welfare reforms.
- Identify and discuss any training needs at supervision and yearly appraisal with line manager.
The selection process
To apply please download and complete the application form and e-mail it to emily.davies@cab-banes.org, or post it to Emily Davies, CA BANES, 5 Palace Yard Mews, Bath, BA1 2NH. Please address each point of the person specification in your application.
Shortlisting will take place after the closing date.
You must be entitled to work in the UK and appointments will be made subject to references.
Successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced DBS check.
