Welfare Benefits

FISCUS is a registered charity based at the Coop Centre in Hendon, Sunderland. We are delighted to be recruiting a full-time Welfare Benefits & Money Advice Worker to our growing FISCUS Team Part of a 5-year project, this new post is funded until 2029 via the Access to Justice Foundation, Improving Lives Through Advice (ILTA) programme. In the first year, the post is also part-funded via Northern Gas Networks (NGN) as part of our new Centre for Warmth initiative. All funding is secured for the post until September 2029.

At FISCUS we care about people affected by financial hardship and poverty. Our customers often experience further barriers, for example, due to mental health issues, domestic violence issues, drugs and alcohol misuse and homelessness. The Welfare Benefits & Money Advice Worker deliver advice from FISCUS Coop Centre and from our community partner outreach venues. At FISCUS, we strive to make a real difference to people’s lives.

**Key tasks**:

- Provide **Welfare benefits** advice and support to individuals and families facing hardship, in or at risk of fuel poverty
- Helping people to maximise income by advising on welfare benefits entitlements, better-off calculations, budgeting advice and money advice
- Liaison with, and signposting to, specialist housing and homelessness providers
- Providing Energy Advice (training will be provided) and Fuel Poverty Advice to people experiencing financial hardship and in or at risk of fuel poverty
- Promote the Priority Services Register (PSR) to vulnerable people and raise awareness of the dangers of Carbon Monoxide in the home (training provided)
- Making appropriate referrals to specialist organisations for additional help with related specialist issues, e.g. employment, family, housing issues, drugs and alcohol
- Refer into FISCUS team for crisis support such as our Bundles for Babies Baby Bank, our Community Clothes Bank and Community Food Bank
- Issue Food Parcel Vouchers to people facing hunger and hardship for use at Food Banks across Sunderland
- Meeting project targets and maintaining high-quality standards
- Keeping accurate case records on Advice Pro (training will be given)
- Produce written reports monthly & quarterly including progress, outputs, data and case studies
- Ensuring all work conforms to correct procedures and maintaining confidentiality at all times
- Keeping up to date with and complying with GDPR
- Support a new Trainee Benefits Advisor and volunteers

**Debt / Money Advice**(training can be provided)
- Identifying debt reduction options including insolvency options and explaining implications, enabling clients to make informed decisions
- Acting for client and negotiating with creditors and debt enforcement agencies
- Preparing a Standard Financial Statement (SFS), holding action, making offers of payments (pro rata, token, and lump sum offers, deductions from benefits), debt write-offs, payment moratorium, etc
- Budgeting advice, fuel poverty advice and advising on shopping on a low-income
- Refer to Specialist agencies for insolvency options including: Debt Relief Orders, IVA’s, Bankruptcy

**JOIN OUR FISCUS TEAM**

If you’re looking for a great new job opportunity, then let us tell you more about what it’s like to be one of us

The **Welfare Benefits & Money Advice Worker**will be a key part of FISCUS team of staff and volunteers. They will manage their own caseload of service users and record Advice Work, Engagement Activities, Referrals and Outcomes on Advice Pro (training is provided).

At FISCUS we care about people affected by financial hardship and poverty. Our customers often experience further barriers for example, due to mental health issues, domestic violence issues, drugs and alcohol misuse and homelessness. The Welfare Benefits & Money Advice Worker will deliver advice at FISCUS Coop Centre and also via outreach from our community partner venues such as Sunderland Bangladesh International Centre and Community Food Banks across Sunderland. At FISCUS, we strive to make a real difference to people’s lives. We need like-minded people just like you to help us make a difference

**CLOSING DATE**: Thursday 1st May 2025

**INTERVIEW DATES**:Interviews will take place at FISCUS COOP Centre, Whitehouse Road, Hendon, Sunderland, SR2 8AH on **Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th May 2025**

FISCUS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable adults and children and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) disclosure is required for this post.

**Job Types**: Full-time, Part-time, Fixed term contract
Contract length: 48 months

Pay: Up to £29,000.00 per year

Expected hours: 28 - 35 per week

**Benefits**:

- Company pension
- Free parking
- On-site parking

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 01/05/2025
Reference ID: FISCUS/ILTA/1