Welfare Benefit Adviser

Job Title: Welfare Benefits Adviser
Starting Salary: £39,481 progressing to £43,149
Hours: 37 hours per week
Location: Farnham House, Stevenage and Hybrid
Contract Type: Permanent
Directorate: Adult Care Services

About the Team

The Client Finance Team supports vulnerable adults who are unable to manage their own financial affairs who have been assessed as lacking mental capacity. Acting as Appointees and Deputies, we help safeguard clients' income, assets and financial wellbeing, ensuring all decisions are made in their best interests.

As part of the Money Advice Unit, we work collaboratively with Adult Social Care colleagues, healthcare professionals, legal services and external organisations to provide specialist financial support and guidance across Hertfordshire.

This is an exciting time to join our growing team. You'll have the opportunity to develop within a service while making a meaningful difference to people's lives. We are a supportive and collaborative team, looking for empathetic individuals who want to help vulnerable adults remain independent and thrive within their communities.

This role is one of a range of new roles being advertised within our Money Advice and Client Finance service at this exciting time of growth. Check out our website for other opportunities.

About the role

To maximise the income and financial wellbeing of vulnerable clients by identifying, applying for, and maintaining entitlement to welfare benefits and undertaking financial inclusion work i.e. reviewing personal budget plans. The role supports individuals where the organisation acts as an Appointee or Deputy, ensuring all benefits and other finances are correctly managed in line with legal and financial responsibilities.

Key responsibilities:

• Provide specialist welfare benefits advice and support for vulnerable adults, helping to ensure they receive their full financial entitlements.
• Assess, prepare and manage benefit claims, reviews, appeals and related casework on behalf of clients.
• Support Client Finance colleagues with complex cases, providing guidance on benefits and financial matters where required.
• Monitor clients' financial circumstances to maximise income and minimise the risk of benefits being affected unnecessarily.
• Work collaboratively with social workers, healthcare professionals, the DWP and other partner agencies to achieve positive outcomes for clients.
• Maintain accurate records and ensure all work is completed in line with relevant legislation, policies and procedures.
• Act as a key point of contact for benefit-related enquiries and contribute to training and knowledge sharing across the team and council.
• Undertake home visits, outreach work and tribunal attendance as required.

About you:

We're looking for a knowledgeable and motivated individual who is passionate about helping vulnerable adults access their financial entitlements and achieve positive outcomes. You will have strong welfare benefits knowledge, excellent organisational skills and the confidence to advocate on behalf of clients when needed.

Essential

• Experience and knowledge of welfare benefits, including assessing entitlement, supporting benefit claims and helping people achieve the best possible outcomes.
• Strong advocacy and communication skills, with experience of, or the ability to, represent individuals with external organisations, including at appeals and tribunals.
• Experience supporting vulnerable adults within social care, welfare rights, client finance, advice services or a similar setting.
• An understanding of financial inclusion and the ability to manage sensitive financial information accurately and in a person's best interests.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage a varied caseload, prioritise competing demands and meet deadlines.
• Good numerical, administrative and IT skills, including experience of using Microsoft Office applications, Excel and case management systems.
• The ability to build positive working relationships with clients, colleagues and partner organisations, and work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
• Knowledge of, or the ability to develop knowledge of, Appointeeship and Deputyship responsibilities, relevant legislation including the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Care Act 2014, and work with organisations such as the DWP, Office of the Public Guardian and Court of Protection.
• Flexibility to undertake visits and attend tribunals when required.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is Level 10. Please locate the job profile here:

Job profiles - Corporate services

To hear more about this opportunity please contact Joanna.Adams@hertfordshire.gov.uk for an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Date: week commencing 2 November 2026

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Additional information

We are changing
Hertfordshire County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). If you are employed by Hertfordshire County on 1 April 2028, it is expected that most roles will transfer to the newly-created unitary councils on existing terms and conditions under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings – Protection of Employment) principles.

LGR is one of the biggest changes we will face in a generation. It will reshape how we work and how services are organised and gives us a real opportunity to build something better. To find out more, visit https://www.hertfordshire-lgr.co.uk/

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Safeguarding
This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.