ELIGIBILITY PROCESSING SPECIALIST

NYC Department of Social Services; New York (NY); On-site; USD 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

NYC Department of Social Services seeks an Eligibility Specialist II to process and verify client information, determine eligibility for public assistance, and manage a caseload of up to 50 cases weekly. The role involves interviewing clients, reviewing documents, and ensuring proper disbursement of benefits.

Under supervision, you will collaborate with the Office of Central Processing and other agencies to provide timely assistance and accurate eligibility determinations.

Qualifications

• Completion of 30 semester credits at an accredited college or university.
• A four year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and one year of full-time satisfactory experience in eligibility determination or related fields.
• Experience interviewing, gathering information, and preparing documentation for eligibility recommendations.
• A satisfactory combination of education and/or experience equivalent to the above; college credits may substitute for experience.

Responsibilities

• Compute and determine financial assistance amounts for Public Assistance, Food Stamps, and Medicaid.
• Verify information by contacting sources and using systems to confirm accuracy.
• Authorize payments and prepare documents, checks, and authorizations for benefits.
• Prepare daily/monthly activity sheets and required reports.
• Determine initial eligibility and manage a full caseload (up to 50 cases per week).
• Prepare eligibility forms and enter data into WMS and other systems.

Skills

Interviewing

Data gathering

Verification

Customer service

Communication

Education

30 semester credits

High school diploma or equivalent

Experience in public assistance or related work

Education/experience mix accepted

Job description

APPLICANTS MUST BE PERMANENT IN THE ELIGIBILITY SPECIALIST TITLE OR BE PERMANENT IN A COMPARABLE TITLE ELIGIBLE FOR 6.1.9 TITLE CHANGE

IF YOU ARE HIRED PROVISIONALLY IN THIS TITLE, YOU MUST TAKE AND PASS THE CIVIL SERVICE EXAM, WHEN IT BECOMES AVAILABLE, TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT.

The Department of Social Services (DSS) is comprised of the administrative units of the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). HRA is dedicated to fighting poverty and income inequality by providing New Yorkers in need with essential benefits such as Food Assistance and Emergency Rental Assistance. DHS is committed to preventing and addressing homelessness in New York City by employing a variety of innovative strategies to help families and individuals successfully exit shelter and return to self-sufficiency as quickly as possible.

The Office of Central Processing (OCP) is a collaborative effort between the Human Resources Administration, other New York City, State and Federal agencies and private sector businesses such as utility companies, which supply services to temporary assistance participants. By centrally processing projects at OCP the job centers are assisted towards their goal of obtaining financial independence for all participants

Under the direct supervision of the Group Supervisor with some latitude for independent action and decision making the eligibility specialist processes and controls referrals and client case information to ensure accuracy of case information and that agency disbursements are proper by interviewing clients face to face and reviewing cases. The budgeting specialists will perform their duties in varied work units: NYCHA, HPD, Utilities etc. The Office of Central Processing (OCP) is a collaborative effort between the Human Resources Administration, other New York City, State and Federal agencies and private sector businesses such as utility companies, which supply services to temporary assistance participants. By centrally processing projects at OCP the job centers are assisted towards their goal of obtaining financial independence for all participants.

OCP is recruiting nineteen (19) Eligibility Specialist II's to function as Eligibility Processing Specialists who will:

• Compute, determine the amount of financial assistance for Public Assistance, Food Stamps, and Medicaid, by reviewing, obtaining, verifying pertinent data, to ensure that disbursements are proper. Calculate and prepare authorization documents for benefits to be issued to or on behalf of Public Assistance recipients. Compute budget to affect changes on cases.
• Verify received information concerning clients' cases by contacting and verifying sources to confirm accuracy of information. Also verify information by accessing and checking WMS system. Maintain caseloads by assembling, collating documents, forms, other related materials, making appropriate notations, to provide a continuing history of pertinent action in each case.
• Authorize statistical and financial changes in assistance and budgets by reviewing information provided by clients, comparing actual payment files, to ensure that Agency eligibility requirements are met. Authorize payments to clients by compiling and checking validation of documents and completing appropriate papers. Prepares and signs checks to ensure initiation of legitimate payment.
• Prepare daily and monthly activity sheets specifying work performed by making entries on a periodic basis, following a standard format, to provide a documented record of employee activities, and submitting required reports.
• Determine and verify initial eligibility of applicants for agency services by listening and recording responses by clients using appropriate forms and procedures and interviewing techniques, to initiate and continue service where appropriate. Determines full case eligibility by conducting face-to-face interviews and over the telephone interviews. Handles a full caseload of up to 50 cases per week.
• Prepare eligibility forms by incorporating all received data, checking for accuracy and reviewing authorizations, to initiate processing of appropriate services. Enter, update, retrieve checks information on WMS and other electronic information storage systems, by operation of control console, keyboard, other, to facilitate clearance, verification, other operations.
• Perform calculation, computations, using basic arithmetic operation, agency formats, statistics, financial results, timekeeping totals, determine eligibility for economic assistance, and other.
• Process requests for emergency housing assistance by servicing walk-in clients, referrals from Housing Court, NYCHA, HPD, requesting pertinent data, to prevent eviction, and initiate case actions. Authorize these emergency payments by compiling, checking validation of documents, completing appropriate papers, preparing, signing checks, to insure -initiation of legitimate payment.

Hours/Schedule: 9:00am-5:00pm /Monday – Friday

ELIGIBILITY SPECIALIST - 10104

Minimum Qualifications

• Completion of 30 semester credits at an accredited college or university; or
• A four high school diploma or its educational equivalent and one year of full-time satisfactory experience in one or more of the following areas; performing the work described below:
• Interviewing, gathering information and/or preparing necessary documentation for the purpose of making recommendations concerning eligibility for public assistance or unemployment, health benefits, social security, insurance, or participation in social services or community programs, and other similar benefits; or
• Performing bookkeeping, bank teller duties, housing office teller duties, purchasing agent, assistant store manager, sales representative responsible for accounts, or customer service duties or a job in which the duties include helping customers with questions or concerns; or
• Dealing with social service agencies, legal representatives, or aiding individuals in navigating housing, social, financial or health problems or application systems; or
• A satisfactory combination of education and/or experience equivalent to "1" or "2" above. College education may be substituted for the experience in "2" above on the basis that 30 semester credits from an accredited college or university may be substituted for each year of required experience. However, all candidates must have at least a four year high school diploma or its educational equivalent.

Special Note

Work experience which provides only incidental opportunities to perform the job duties as described in "2a", "2b" and "2c" above are not acceptable for meeting the minimum qualification requirements.

55a Program

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.