Annual Salary
£21,000 to £29,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Welfare rights officers give support and free advice to the public.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends; occasionally
There will be
4% more Welfare rights officer jobs in 2027.
In this role you could:
You could work in the community, at a client's home, in a court, in an NHS or private hospital or at an outreach centre.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.
You can get into this job through:
You could complete a revenues and welfare benefits practitioner higher apprenticeship if you're working for a local authority or advice organisation.
This apprenticeship will typically take 12 to 18 months to complete.
You'll usually need:
You could start as an admin assistant with an advice organisation and work your way up with further training in welfare rights.
You'll usually need GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent qualifications, in English and maths.
Many people start by volunteering in an advice centre.
As a volunteer you would receive training in interviewing skills and advice topics like welfare benefits and housing. It can take between 6 and 12 months to get enough experience to apply for jobs.
You can search for volunteering opportunities through Do It.
You can apply for jobs if you have experience of supporting people facing difficult situations, for example, those with money, family or housing problems.
You'll need to:
A qualification in counselling, legal work or advice and guidance could be useful, though your employer may give you on-the-job training.
The ability to speak a second language or a qualification in British Sign Language could be helpful for some jobs.
You can find out more about working in welfare rights from Citizens Advice and AdviceUK.
With experience, you could move into specialist advice and casework, or be promoted to a team leader or management post.
You'll need: