Welfare Benefits Officer

East Midlands Councils/East Midlands Jobs; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Leave 25 days

Bank holidays

Training and Development

Wellbeing Support Framework

Cycle to Work Scheme

Derbyshire Rewards

Job summary

Derbyshire County Council Welfare Rights Service is seeking a Welfare Benefits Officer to provide high‑quality information and advice on welfare benefits via the Advice Line. You will support residents to maximise income, undertake appeal representation, and work with partners across Derbyshire to resolve cases and promote health and wellbeing.

The role requires strong communication, problem‑solving and analytic skills, with experience of welfare benefits and advocacy.

Qualifications

• Experience providing information and advice on welfare benefits.
• Experience with tribunal representation or welfare rights casework is valuable.
• Ability to present factual legal arguments based on evidence.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality information and advice to residents via the Advice Line.
• Undertake appeal representation at Social Security Tribunals.
• Support residents to maximise income and access wider support services.
• Handle enquiries from across Derbyshire and collaborate with partners.
• Contribute to service development, training, and awareness activities.

Skills

Communication

Problem-solving

Analytical skills

Job description

Derbyshire County Council's Welfare Rights Service helps Derbyshire residents maximise their income, access the benefits they are entitled to, and receive expert advice and representation when they need it most. In 2025/26, the service supported more than 20,000 Derbyshire residents with benefit enquiries, providing information, advice, casework, and appeal representation.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our Advice Line and Appeals Team as a Welfare Benefits Officer. This is a rewarding role within a specialist countywide service that helps residents navigate an increasingly complex benefits system and secure the financial support they need.

The Advice Line and Appeals Team provides the public-facing gateway to the Welfare Rights Service, supporting residents through telephone advice, complex casework, and appeal representation. The team manages enquiries from across Derbyshire and works closely with a range of partners to support clients facing financial difficulties and benefit-related challenges.

As a Welfare Benefits Officer, you will provide high-quality information and advice across a broad range of welfare benefits issues. You will support residents via the Advice Line to maximise their income and access wider sources of support that promote health and wellbeing.

You will undertake appeal representation, representing clients at Social Security Tribunals, advocating on their behalf and helping them achieve the best possible outcomes.

We are looking for someone with experience of providing advice together with strong communication, problem-solving, and analytical skills. You will have a good working knowledge of welfare benefits, challenging decisions, and the confidence to represent clients and present legal arguments based on facts and evidence. Experience of tribunal representation, welfare rights casework or similar advocacy work would be particularly valuable.

This role would suit someone who enjoys helping people, analysing complex situations, and making a tangible difference to residents facing financial hardship. If you are already working within welfare rights and developed your skills through advice, advocacy, or casework-based roles, this is an excellent opportunity to further develop your expertise within a supportive and experienced team.

You will have opportunities to broaden your welfare rights knowledge, contribute to service development activities, participate in training and awareness-raising work, and work collaboratively with colleagues and partner organisations across Derbyshire.

Please refer to the Job and Person Profile for full details of the knowledge, skills, and experience required. Applicants are strongly encouraged to demonstrate clearly within their personal statement how they meet each of the essential criteria.

Employees have access to a range of support, benefits and discounts including:

• Generous Annual Leave Scheme: 25days annual leave per year (rising to 30 days after 5 years continuous service) plus 8 bank holidays (pro rata).
• Supportive management and team
• Training and Development: Opportunities for professional qualifications and ongoing training.
• Wellbeing Support Framework: Includes OH physician services, physiotherapy, CBT, and in-house counselling.
• Employee Wellbeing Support: Fast track physiotherapy, confidential psychological support services, Employee Assistance Programme, and "Wisdom" app.
• Paid travel expenses: if required to travel to other sites (Terms and conditions apply)
• Cycle to Work Scheme: Promoting a healthy lifestyle.
• Our Derbyshire Rewards: a package of benefits, cashback and discounts.

For more information about the role or an informal chat, please email [e-mail]

Provisional interview date - Monday 30 November 2026