Welfare Rights Officer

Wmjobs; Dudley; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Dudley Council is seeking an experienced Welfare Rights Officer on a fixed-term basis (12 months) to develop the Welfare Rights Team and provide specialist benefits advice to prevent homelessness. The role supports service users and frontline staff with benefit applications, reconsiderations, appeals, and accessing additional financial support schemes.

The post holder will manage a personal caseload, work in partnership with other agencies, and contribute to service development to improve

Qualifications

• Welfare rights knowledge and eligibility criteria understanding.
• Experience in housing options and homelessness prevention.

Responsibilities

• Prevent homelessness in partnership with agencies.
• Provide specialist welfare benefits advice to service users and staff.
• Assist with benefit applications, reconsiderations, appeals and related financial support schemes.
• Identify financial barriers to prevent rent arrears and tenancy breakdown.
• Manage a personal caseload and contribute to service improvements.

Skills

Welfare rights knowledge

Housing/homelessness knowledge

Casework management

Advisory support

Job description

Dudley Homelessness Prevention Service is seeking an experienced Welfare Rights Officer (fixed term for 12 months). This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in the development of services and support officers to prevent homelessness.

The Homelessness Prevention & Response Team aim to prevent homelessness wherever possible so we offer advice and support about housing options to those that are homeless, those who may be at risk of losing their home, have other urgent housing needs, or who simply want to know more about the options that are available to them.

We are continuing to develop the Welfare Rights Team within the service, recognising the vital role it plays in preventing homelessness and supporting sustainable housing outcomes. The provision of welfare benefits advice, income maximisation support and financial guidance is a key preventative tool, helping customers to maintain their accommodation and reduce the risk of homelessness arising from financial hardship.

The purpose of the job is:

• To prevent homelessness working in partnership with other agencies
• Toprovide specialist advice and assistance to both service users and frontline staff
• To support with benefit applications, mandatory reconsiderations, appeals, disability-related benefits, and assistance accessing additional financial support schemes
• To help customers navigate often complex welfare systems and can significantly increase household income, improving housing stability.
• To identify financial barriers that may place individuals or families at risk of homelessness
• To provide earlyintervention through welfare rights support to help prevent rent arrears, tenancy breakdown, and the need for crisis interventionsTo support case manages in determining DMBC’s legal responsibility for homeless cases
• To manage a personal caseload, preventing homelessness whenever possible.
• To be an effective member of the Homelessness Prevention and Response Team, ensuring that high quality customer services are provided at all times, and that the service is continuously improving
• To be personally responsible for developing particular service areas and/or particular partnership initiatives

The post holder will need to have housing and homelessness knowledge, and experience of supporting vulnerable adults.

So that we can demonstrate Dudley’s commitment to diversity and inclusion and to improve bias in the recruitment process that could create barriers for candidates. Your personal data will be anonymised when you apply, to ensure that you comply with our anonymisation process, please ensure you have removed your name and date of birth from any attachments prior to uploading them to your application.

Online application forms will only be accepted for this vacancy, online facilities for jobs are available at public libraries within the Dudley Borough.

All applicants must be able to provide documentation to prove their right to work in the UK.

Please note: Dudley MBC does not currently offer sponsorship for candidates without the Right to Work in the UK.

If you requiresupportcompleting an online or paper application form and or interview techniques, please contact Dudley Adult and Community Learning on 01384 818 143 or [e-mail] who cansupportwith Digital Skills and Job Applications.

If you have a disability and require assistance in making an application please contact the HR Resourcing Team via [e-mail]

If you are experiencing a problem whilst applying for a position, please follow the link below to the WM Jobs Help Page in the first instance https://help.wmjobs.co.uk/

If the WM Jobs Help Page does not resolve your issue then please contact the HR Resourcing Team via [e-mail]

Dudley Council will check the information that you have provided against any details already held for accuracy and completeness. The Council will check, share and cross match your information both internal within the council and with external organisations to protect public funds and prevent or detect crime, only where the law allows us to do so.

The Council’s full Privacy and Disclaimer Statement can be accessed on the website at https://www.dudley.gov.uk/privacy-disclaimer-statement/

N.B. We reserve the right to close this vacancy prior to the advertised date should we receive a large number of applications

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Attached documents
Job Description Housing & Assets Welfare Rights Officer.docx
Employee Benefits List.pdf