Benefits Adviser

Are you ready to make a real difference in people's lives by providing specialist debt, benefit, and money advice?

This is an exciting opportunity to join Poppyscotland/RBL to help deliver a new Scotland wide service offering benefits, debt and money advice to Scotland's Armed Forces community.

As a Benefits Adviser, you'll provide expert advice and representation to beneficiaries on a wide range of welfare benefit issues. Your role will involve supporting individuals through income maximisation, mandatory reconsiderations, and appeals, including representation at tribunal hearings.

What You'll Do:

• Provide expert advice on welfare benefits, including entitlements, claims, and complex cases like Student Finance and Armed Forces Pensions.
• Support with overpayments, late claims, and backdating, ensuring beneficiaries understand their rights.
• Advocate for beneficiaries with DWP, SSS, Local Authorities, and HMRC, challenging decisions and securing evidence.
• Prepare and represent cases at First-Tier Tribunals, including overpayments and appeals.
• Assess case strengths, potential outcomes, and legal implications, adapting strategies as needed.
• Stay up to date with legislation, case law, and best practices, ensuring accurate advice and representation.
• Escalate cases when necessary, including Upper Tribunal appeals, judicial reviews, and Ombudsman referrals.

Poppyscotland offers a holistic Benefits & Debt Advice Service, with the expectation that the successful candidate will develop knowledge, skills & experience in debt advice (full training and supervision provided) to be able to support clients in both areas of support.

The role is homebased with occasional travel required throughout Scotland. This includes travel to home visits and tribunal locations. In addition, travel to team meetings and training, usually in Edinburgh, is required. You may also be required to attend national BDMA Service annual events held across the UK. We do cover travel expenses.

Living within Scotland area is essential in being able to undertake this role.

This position is also subject to pre-employment checks including an Enhanced PVG check.

What We're Looking For:

• Proven experience in welfare benefits advice, including entitlements, rates, and calculations.
• Ability to manage a caseload independently, ensuring timely and accurate case administration.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, case management systems, and other relevant software.
• Experience handling complex benefit calculations and successfully challenging benefit decisions.

Why join us?

Our self-funded service operates without external constraints, ensuring long-term support. The service is not target driven and instead takes a holistic approach, working alongside other teams to address wider issues like homelessness and complex needs.

Come and be part of the leading Armed Forces charity, making a difference to the lives of those who have served to keep us safe and protect our way of life.

Employee benefits include:

• 28 day's paid holiday (plus bank holidays) increasing with service, with optional annual leave purchase scheme of up to 5 working days.
• Generous pension contributions, with Employer contributions ranging from 6% to 14%.
• Range of flexible working options may be available, depending on your role.
• Employee Assistance Programme providing confidential counselling, financial and legal advice.
• Range of courses delivered by learning specialists to support your development goals and objectives.
• Opportunities to volunteer.
• Travel loans, Cycle to Work, and more!

For more detailed information about the role, please see our Vacancy Information Pack attached to our direct advert.

Poppyscotland/RBL is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive organisation, reflecting the diversity of the armed forces community and of wider society. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and personal characteristics and aim to operate an inclusive recruitment process.

We may close this vacancy early if we believe we have enough strong applications to be able to successfully fill the role(s). Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.