Specialist Adviser – Disability Benefits

Job Vacancy
Specialist Adviser – Disability Benefits

●  15 hours per week
●  Working with disabled and neurodivergent people predominately around

welfare benefits

●  Salary range: £27,110 to £28,761 per annum pro rata (pay award pending), plus

4% employer’s pension contribution

●  28 days holidays pro rata including bank holidays
●  Based at: Citizens Advice Teignbridge, Newton Abbot, with travel as necessary.
●  Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund
●  Reporting to: Advice Services Manager

Summary

To expand and strengthen our disability benefits advice offer for disabled and
neurodivergent people at a time of rising need.

Context of the Role

This role will benefit disabled and neurodivergent residents who are
disproportionately disadvantaged by cost-of-living increases, incorrect benefit
decisions and barriers to accessing advice. By securing correct entitlements our aim is
to improve wellbeing, increase financial stability, and enable people to remain in or
return to work.

Role purpose:

The adviser will manage a caseload of disability benefit applications up to and
including complex First-tier and Upper Tribunal disability benefit appeals, supervise
and develop our volunteers, and provide high-quality external training in disability
benefits and tribunal representation. They will also work closely with our network of
community organisations to improve both the quality and availability of welfare rights
advice for disabled and neurodivergent people.

Key work areas and tasks:

Advice

●

Interview clients using sensitive listening and questioning skills in order to
allow clients to explain their problem(s) and empower them to set their own
priorities.

●  Check that clients receive all the benefits they are entitled to.
●  Help with form filling and challenging decisions where necessary.
●  Prepare and present cases to the appropriate statutory bodies, tribunals and

courts as appropriate.

●  Use the Citizens Advice AdviserNet website to find, interpret and communicate

the relevant information.

●  Research and explore options and implications so that clients can make

informed decisions.

●  Act for the client where necessary by calculating, negotiating, drafting or writing

letters/emails and telephoning.

●  Negotiate with third parties such as statutory and non-statutory bodies as

appropriate.

●  Refer internally or to other specialist agencies as appropriate.

Project Administration

●  Monitor progress against the project targets on an ongoing basis and provide

reports on agreed objectives to the project steering group.

●  Ensure that all work conforms to the local office manual and the Citizens Advice

quality standard and other funding requirements, as appropriate.

●  Ensure that work reflects and supports the Citizens Advice service’s equity,

diversity and inclusion commitment.

●  Maintain detailed case records for the purpose of continuity of casework,
information retrieval, statistical monitoring and report preparation.

●  Provide case studies for project reporting.

Relationship building

●  Establish, develop and maintain a range of partnerships to reach clients and

gain support for the project.

●  Attend relevant meetings.

Professional development

Identify and implement plans for own training and development needs.

●
●  Keep up to date with relevant training as part of a continuous training

requirement;

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●  Prepare for and attend supervision sessions / team meetings / staff meetings

as appropriate.

Other duties and responsibilities

●  Provide advice, assistance and supervision to volunteer advisers.
●  Uphold the aims and principles of the Citizens Advice service and its equal

opportunities policies.

●  Establish and maintain effective and efficient administration systems for the

delivery of the project.

●  Use IT for statistical recording, record keeping and document production.
●  Carry out administrative tasks related to the job.
●  Participate fully in the life of the local office, attending staff meetings, internal

planning events etc. as agreed with line manager.

●  Support other local office work as required (e.g. providing referrals for advice

appointments where appropriate).

●  Abide by health and safety guidelines and share responsibility for own safety

and that of colleagues.

●  Carry out any other appropriate tasks requested by the manager, to ensure the

effective delivery and development of the service.

Person specification

●  Recent experience of having worked as a trained adviser within the advice

sector, particularly with clients who have debt and money issues

●  Recent experience of preparing and presenting cases at appeals, tribunals and

courts as appropriate

●  Experience of establishing and developing partnerships with a range of

organisations and stakeholders

●  Understanding of and commitment to the aims and principles of the Citizens

Advice

●  Proven understanding of equity, diversity and inclusion and their application to

the provision of advice

●  A willingness to learn and develop and reflect on practice.
●  Proven ability to interview clients using sensitive listening and questioning skills
to get to the root of issues and empower clients, whilst maintaining structure
and control of meetings

●  Understanding of the issues affecting society and their implications for the

client and service provision

●  Proven ability to research, analyse and interpret complex information, produce

and present clear reports verbally and in writing

●  Ability to carry out benefit calculations to assist with the maximisation of

income

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●  Ability to carry out a debt assessment
●  Ability and willingness to work both on own initiative and as part of a team and

to manage own caseload

●  Possession of a full driving licence and use of a car, or otherwise able to fulfil

the travel requirements of the post

This role is subject to a DBS disclosure.

Don’t meet every single requirement outlined in the Job Description?

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. Studies have shown
that some groups may be less likely to apply for jobs where they feel they do not
meet every single requirement. So, if you’re interested in this role but your
experience or qualifications don’t match the job description exactly, please do still
apply. Training can be provided for the right candidate.

March 2026

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