Welfare Benefits Advisor (5695) in London

We are a national law firm with a local reach. Our legal experts are here for you. Whether it is personal or business, we understand that everyone's situation is different. But we are more than just a law firm – we are a team of people working together to help individuals and businesses navigate life's ups and downs. Working here, you will feel a part of our friendly and inclusive environment. We will 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.

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
• Medical assessments
• Appeals
• Drafting mandatory reconsiderations
• Liaising with DWP and challenging where appropriate
• Tribunal Support (where appropriate)

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.
• Supporting 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.
• Ensuring 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.
• Continuing 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.
• Liaising 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.
• Travelling 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.
• Excellent IT skills as several case management systems are used in our practice.
• Experienced in handling a large case load, and organising own cases under pressure.
• 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.
• A wide range of well-being initiatives to encourage positive mental health both in and out of the workplace.
• Flexible by Choice programme which gives our colleagues more choice over a hybrid way of working subject to role, team and client requirements.
• Ranked in the Best Workplaces for Wellbeing for Large Organisations for 2024!
• Commitment to being a diverse and inclusive workplace where our colleagues can flourish.
• Responsible business programmes fundamental to who we are.

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.
• 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.
• We are proud of our values, and we are looking for people who share them.