We are recruiting on behalf of Creative Support for a Financial Inclusion and Welfare Rights Officer. Creative Support is a not-for-profit organisation promoting the independence, inclusion and wellbeing of people with care and support needs. We do this by working with the people we support, their families and partner agencies to deliver innovative, high-quality services to meet individual needs and aspirations.
Summary of the Job:
The post holder will be responsible for the management of a caseload of corporate appointeeships. These will be vulnerable adults unable to manage their own finances and whom require support to claim and manage DWP benefit claims. The post holder will ensure that all benefits are maximised and that the client has access to finances for the purpose of daily living costs, bills, activities and any other sundries.
The post holder will have some knowledge and preferably experience of working with the DWP benefits system and will be responsible for providing welfare rights and budgeting advice to all clients and support staff at Creative Support as and when required. This may include the delivery of corporate training to staff and clients or developing help documents and briefings.
The post holder should expect some national travel on occasion, visiting our services and offering advice and support and information to clients, staff within local offices and other relevant parties including (but not limited to) Social Workers and family members.
Responsibilities:
- To act as a corporate appointee for a caseload of specified vulnerable clients and to follow the corporate Code of Conduct for Appointees at all times.
- Ensure that all clients under appointeeship receive their full benefit entitlement and that any relevant changes in circumstances are reported to the appropriate benefit agency promptly to prevent any under / overpayments of benefits.
- Make sure that as clients migrate to different benefits e.g. PIP, Universal Credit or Pension Credit, that claims are initiated and claimed promptly and correctly and that the client is not affected adversely by any negative decisions made by the DWP.
- Where any benefit agency makes a decision that appears to be incorrect, an Officer should promptly follow the appropriate appeals process to ensure that we do everything to ensure the client’s benefits remain maximised. This may include attending benefit tribunals.
- To always manage corporate appointeeships in a person centred way, which promotes the independence of the client as far as possible whilst acting in the best interests of the client. This will include visiting clients where appropriate and discussing their finances with them and other relevant parties.
- Administer and monitor corporate appointee bank accounts, ensuring all financial arrangements are properly documented within agency guidelines. This will also involve liaising with our Relationship team at Barclays bank and using the online banking portal to set up standing orders and print off bank statements
- To administer and monitor the use of the pre-pay card system used at Creative Support for the purpose of clients accessing their weekly finances and pay for sundries as necessary. This includes populating a monthly spreadsheet, checking requisitions and ensuring that the client has enough money on the pre-pay platform to facilitate access to the monies needed.
- To ensure that all bills are set up by direct debit from the corporate bank account where possible but where paid by other methods to ensure this is done promptly to avoid additional charges or court summons for late payments.
- To ensure that whenever a significant decision needs to be made in relation to the appointeeship and where the client does not have capacity to make this decision themselves that a best interest meeting will be held (which the post holder may be required to attend) and that the post holder follows the decision resulting from this meeting.
- To ensure that with regards to large purchases, due consideration has been shown for value for money and taking into consideration the client’s personal choices where appropriate.
- To carry out (where appropriate) initial visits to potential new appointees and assess the need for this arrangement using agency guidelines. To use this visit to obtain all appropriate information including (but not limited to) name, address, national insurance number, landlord and any arrears information.
- To provide welfare benefits and budgeting advice to all Creative Support services when needed and regardless of whether the service has any appointees within it.
- To support staff to maximise our clients income through the delivery of training, attendance at staff Team Meetings and advice to increase their awareness and knowledge of benefits available and to assist with difficult benefit claims and appeals.