Welfare Benefits Adviser

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View more categories View less categories Sector Administration and Secretarial, Human Resources, Legal Contract Type Permanent Hours Full Time

We're a national law firm with a local reach. Our philosophy is 'we're legal and financial experts that care' - something you'll find in the way we work with our clients and how we support our teams. But we're more than just a law firm - we're a team of people working together to help individuals and businesses navigate life's ups and downs. Working here you'll feel a part of our friendly and inclusive environment.

We'll value you for who you are and what you bring. We support each other and push boundaries to achieve incredible things and make a real difference to our clients and communities.

We're always looking to support our colleagues to work in a way that works best for them and everyone else, including our clients, the business and the regulators. Please speak to a member of our Recruitment and Onboarding team for more information.

Your Role and What You'll Be Doing

To provide high quality Welfare Benefits Advice and related services to the business' Clients, and ensure standards and value to the client is consistently met whilst minimising financial risk/exposure to the client and the firm. Provide and improve value to the client through maximisation of their entitlement to statutory funding and services. This will include all stages of the Welfare Benefits process to include, but not limited to supporting clients with:

• Better off calculations
• Advising clients on benefit eligibility and criteria
• Assisting clients with benefit applications
• Benefit reviews
• Medical assessments
• Appeals
• Drafting mandatory reconsiderations
• Liaising with DWP and challenging where appropriate
• Tribunal Support (where appropriate)

There will also be the need to promote IM and IM's services together with supporting relevant Business Development opportunities that may arise. You will need to be a proactive and independent worker comfortable working in an environment where we are establishing new processes and ways of working. You will need to be able to think on your feet and use your initiative to raise ideas and suggestions.

You will be:

• Ensuring a first class service is provided to clients, case handlers and other appropriate stakeholders through the provision of Welfare Benefits Advice across all service lines and geographically on a national basis
• Providing a fully accessible and holistic specialist welfare advice service.
• Ensuring clients are on the correct benefits according to current circumstances and eligibility.
• Assisting with benefits applications, reviews and conduct appeals if appropriate and requested to do so by client and case handler
• Maintaining knowledge of welfare policy, services and advocacy services. This includes identification, attendance and dissemination of appropriate internal and external training
• To support, where appropriate, the development insight of the IM Benefits Advice Service across the business to all appropriate service lines by way of undertaking internal training to case handlers
• Ensure all work carried out meets or exceeds SLAs/client commitments, and ensure quality advice is provided and compliance with the firm's policies and procedures
• Continue to develop personal and professional development including attending training as required
• Maintaining working relationships across all departments to provide a first class harmonised and integrated client service
• Liaise with Team Leaders across the business and all other relevant personnel to ensure services required are supported and delivered consistently and that any issues are brought to their attention
• Travel being undertaken where appropriate to meet clients' needs

About You

• A minimum of two years' experience of giving in-depth specialist advice of welfare benefits including supporting clients in making Welfare Benefits Applications, arranging and supporting clients at assessment, representation at welfare benefit appeals and mandatory reconsiderations
• Experience of providing a generalist Welfare Benefits Advice Service to ensure clients' needs are met
• Working across all the full social demographic range
• Ability to make pragmatic recommendations and explaining the risks / impact to business management
• Ability to take a wide view in evaluating service standards and processes
• Ability to communicate to a wide range of employees and stakeholders
• Research and analysis skills
• Excellent communication skills with a focus on collaborative working within a team
• Professional presentation and manner, with strong attention to detail
• Able to work independently and as part of a team in a sometimes pressurised environment
• Good organisational skills & ability to prioritise
• Willingness to travel during the course of employment
• Someone with excellent IT skills as several case management systems are used in our practice
• Someone who is experienced in handling a large case load, and organising own cases under pressure
• Excellent whilst working under pressure

Desirable

• Some knowledge of dealing with child maintenance services
• Some knowledge of dealing with personal injury law and cases and how benefits can be impacted
• Some knowledge of court of protection law

Our Benefits - What We Can Offer You

• 25 days holidays as standard plus bank holidays - You can 'buy' up to 35hrs of extra holiday too.
• Generous and flexible pension schemes.
• Volunteering days - Two days of volunteering every year for a cause of your choice (fully paid)
• Westfield Health membership, offering refunds on medical services alongside our Aviva Digital GP services.

We also offer a wide range of well-being initiatives to encourage positive mental health both in and out of the workplace and to make sure you're fully supported. This includes our Flexible by Choice programme which gives our colleagues more choice over a hybrid way of working subject to role, team and client requirements.

We have been ranked in the Best Workplaces for Wellbeing for Large Organisations for 2024!

Additional Information

As part of the Irwin Mitchell Group's on-boarding process all successful applicants are required to complete the group's employment screening process. This process helps to ensure that all new employees meet our standards in relation to honesty and integrity therefore protecting the interests of the Group, colleagues, clients, partners and other stakeholders.

We carry out pre-employment screening to establish your eligibility to work in the UK, criminal record and financial checks with our trusted 3rd parties.

The employment screening process will fully comply with Data Protection and other applicable laws.

Irwin Mitchell LLP is an equal opportunity employer.

If the role is homeworking you will be assigned to your closest office and travel may be required in line with business need to that office.