Senior Welfare Benefits Officer

Salary details: £ - £

Senior Welfare Benefits Officer

(Crisis and Resilience Fund Project)

Grade 10: £36,591 - £40,008 (pro rata)

Location:  Parkwood Centre, Alfreton (with some working from home available)

Closing date: Sunday 11 October 2026           

Provisional interview date: Monday 23 October 2026

Job reference: JOB/26/02715

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join Derbyshire Welfare Rights Service as a Senior Welfare Benefits Officer within our new Crisis Resilience Project. This specialist role will play a key part in helping carers and pension-age residents across Derbyshire maximise their income, improve their financial resilience, and access the support they are entitled to.

The Crisis Resilience Project is focused on supporting some of Derbyshire's most vulnerable residents, including older people and unpaid carers, who may be missing out on valuable welfare benefits and associated support. Through proactive welfare rights advice, detailed casework, and representation, the project will help residents navigate an increasingly complex social security system and improve their financial wellbeing.

As a Senior Welfare Benefits Officer, you will manage a complex caseload involving some of the most challenging and rewarding welfare rights work. You will provide specialist welfare benefits advice, undertake detailed casework, represent clients at appeal tribunals, and support residents through the resolution of complex benefit issues.

In addition to your direct casework responsibilities, you will act as a senior specialist within the project, supporting the Team Manager in the day-to-day operation and development of the project. You will undertake quality assurance activities, including file reviews, provide guidance on complex cases, and support the professional development of colleagues through coaching, mentoring, and sharing best practice.

You will work closely with Welfare Benefits Officers who will deliver casework and appeal representation as part of the project, and Benefit Support Workers who will deliver casework to pension aged residents. Your role will include providing technical advice and leadership to colleagues, helping to ensure consistently high standards of service delivery and excellent outcomes for clients.

We are looking for someone who can demonstrate specialist welfare rights expertise, excellent advocacy skills, and a thorough understanding of social security legislation. Significant experience of complex casework, and tribunal representation is essential. Experience of supporting older people, carers, disabled people, or other vulnerable groups would be particularly advantageous.

The successful candidate will demonstrate professional leadership by sharing expertise, supporting colleagues, promoting quality standards, and contributing to the continuous improvement of the service. We are looking for someone who takes ownership, exercises sound judgement, communicates confidently, and builds positive relationships while keeping the needs and dignity of clients at the centre of their work.

This role would suit an experienced welfare rights practitioner who enjoys problem solving, mentoring others, and using their specialist knowledge to make a meaningful difference to people's lives. It offers an excellent opportunity to combine technical expertise with leadership responsibilities while directly supporting some of Derbyshire's most vulnerable residents.

Travel across Derbyshire will be required as part of the role. Hybrid working arrangements will be considered subject to service need.

Please refer to the Job and Person Profile for full details of the knowledge, skills, and experience required. Applicants are strongly encouraged to demonstrate clearly within their personal statement how they meet each of the essential criteria.

This post requires a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check due to regular contact with vulnerable adults and/or children. A criminal record will not necessarily prevent appointment, as each case will be considered individually.

Due to this post having access to children and/or vulnerable adults, the successful candidate will be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check. The possession of a criminal record will not necessarily prevent an applicant from obtaining this post, as all cases are judged individually according to the nature of the role and information provided. Click here to see our policy on criminal background checks.

Apply now and take the first step towards a fulfilling career with us! By joining Derbyshire County Council you will have access to a range of amazing rewards and employee benefits, including our generous annual leave scheme, excellent local government pension and fantastic employee discounts. To discover more detail about the rewards and benefits available to you, click here

ASCH1

Important: Derbyshire County Council holds a sponsorship licence, but this role does not offer visa sponsorship. Please apply only if you already have the right to work in the UK without sponsorship, as applications that do not meet this requirement will be rejected.

We welcome applications from individuals who share our values — being Collaborative, Innovative, Empowered and Accountable. These values describe who we are and what we stand for as a council. They help shape our culture, encourage consistent behaviour and guide how we work together to make a positive difference for both our employees and the residents we serve.