Welfare Benefits Advisor (based at Newcastle Foodbank)
Job Summary
Contract Type:
Fixed Term
Working Pattern:
Full time
Advert Start Date:
04/02/2025
Advert End Date:
13/02/2025 23:59
Job Category:
Finance / Benefits / Revenues / Procurement
Employment Location:
Newcastle upon Tyne
Post Number:
WBA/NFB/Jan25
Further Information
JOB TITLE: Welfare Benefits Advisor – Based at Newcastle Foodbank
SALARY: £30,000 per annum plus 6% contributory pension scheme
HOURS: 35 hours per week (option for 30-35 hours if required)
ANNUAL LEAVE: 25 days per annum, + 8 statutory bank holidays, plus 1 extra day each year of employment (up to 30 days)
RESPONSIBLE TO: Advice Services Manager
Key tasks:
• Provide Welfare benefits advice and support to individuals and families accessing foodbanks in Newcastle
• Helping people to maximise income by advising on welfare benefits entitlements, better-off calculations, budgeting advice and money advice
• Benefit application support and completion
• Providing information on homelessness & housing support available and signposting to specialist housing and homelessness providers
• Applying for crisis grant funding on behalf of service users
• Making appropriate referrals to specialist organisations for additional help with related specialist issues, e.g. employment, family, housing issues, drugs and alcohol
• Referring into FISCUS team and to our Bundles for Babies Baby Bank and our Community Clothes Bank
• Meeting project targets and maintaining high quality standards
• Keeping accurate case records on Advice Pro (training will be given)
• Produce written reports monthly & quarterly including progress,
outputs, data and case studies
• Ensuring all work conforms to correct procedures and maintaining confidentiality at all times
• Keeping up to date with and complying with GDPR
• Support a new Trainee Benefits Advisor and volunteers
• Debt / Money Advice (training can be provided)
• Identifying debt reduction options including insolvency options and explaining implications, enabling clients to make informed decisions
• Acting for client and negotiating with creditors and debt enforcement agencies
• Preparing a Standard Financial Statement (SFS), holding action, making offers of payments (pro rata, token, and lump sum offers, deductions from benefits), debt write-offs, payment moratorium, etc
• Budgeting advice, fuel poverty advice and advising on shopping on a low-income
• Refer to Specialist agencies for insolvency options including: Debt Relief Orders, IVA’s, Bankruptcy
Please see Supporting Documents for a full specification of the role amd requirements.
Closing Date: Thursday 13thth February 2025
Interviews: Thursday 20th February 2025
Apply by outlining how your skills and experience meet the requirements of the post by emailing your CV and a Letter of Application to: courtneyknowles@fiscus.org or by post to: Courtney Knowles, FISCUS, Coop Centre, Whitehouse Road, Hendon, Sunderland, SR2 8AH