Welfare Rights Adviser
Department - Support hub
Salary £32,445 per annum ( £19,467 pro rata for part time)
Hours of work 22.5 hours a week over three days.
Base Hybrid working for the foreseeable future with regular attendance to the office at least 2 days week at Royal Free Charity, The Pears Building, Pond Street, London, NW3 2PP and Royal Free Hospital- Support Hub
The role
The welfare rights adviser will report to the welfare rights supervisor.
The welfare rights adviser will be supporting people affected by long term health issues with financial challenges, supporting with benefit and housing advice, and referring on for further support where appropriate.
Experience as a welfare rights adviser, including managing your own casework, is essential when applying for this role.
Principal accountabilities / responsibilities: -
Welfare rights advice and casework
· To provide welfare rights advice and casework for people affected by long-term health conditions, including inpatients, outpatients, and carers.
· To work at least two days per week on site, mainly based at the Royal Free Hospital or the Royal Free Charity office
· To provide advice and support primarily on welfare benefits and housing matters (that do not require a solicitor).
· To check whether clients are in receipt of all the benefits they are entitled to and help them claim relevant benefits.
· To help clients understand benefit decisions and challenge them (where appropriate) by way of mandatory reconsiderations and appeals.
· To help clients ensure they keep to their responsibilities in respect of their benefit claims, for example by notifying any relevant changes of circumstances.
· To refer or signpost clients to other agencies or departments as appropriate, e.g., housing solicitors; community care cases involving social services and NHS duties, FCA-regulated debt and immigration services.
· To signpost or refer to other services that might be valuable to a client such as condition specific charities, mental health support, or offerings in the local community that would improve their health and wellbeing.
· As part of this role, there may be some advice given to NHS staff.
· There may also be some involvement in new advice projects
· There will also be some triaging new referrals as part of this role
The team
The support hub department is here to support people affected by long term health conditions (patients and carers), to help them with the practicalities of living with a chronic condition; to improve wellbeing and quality of life.
We are here to transform patient experience and staff experience and change lives for the better.
We aim to play our part in addressing inequalities in health, through supporting with the wider determinants of health (e.g., finances, housing); areas which can have a direct impact on someone’s health outcomes and recovery. Through doing this, we support the NHS and Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust staff, stepping in where they may not have the time or expertise.
We are proud to hold the Advice Quality Standard (AQS), recognising us as well-run legal advice service, operating within social welfare law, and committed to social justice.
Organisation
The Royal Free Charity stands at the threshold of its most important period of development.
Our vision is for everyone served by the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust (RFL) to have access to world-leading healthcare, delivered by a thriving workforce, and driven by medical research that has a global impact. We support the 17,000 staff of the RFL and their two million patients across Barnet, Chase Farm, North Mid and Royal Free hospitals and more than 30 NHS services.
Through the services we provide, and the programmes and equipment we fund, we make a profound and immediate difference to patients’ experiences of care.
The recruitment process
To apply for this post, send your:
- CV (please include your last employer and dates of employment)
- Cover letter addressing how you meet the criteria set out in the job description and person specification.
Please note, that applications submitted without a cover letter may not be considered for this role.
Closing date for application: Monday 10 November 2025, 12 noon.
Interview date: Wednesday 19 November 2025
Please kindly note that we may close the job advert before the closing date if we receive a large volume of applications.
- You must be eligible to work in the UK
We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that candidates may require during the recruitment process.
As an equal opportunities’ employer, the Royal Free Charity is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership.
We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join the Royal Free Charity and act in line with our values of dedication, innovation, partnership, energy and respect.
Registered Charity
51 - 100
We accelerate improvement and innovation beyond what the NHS can provide
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Battersea is entering an exciting phase of innovation and transformation as we embark on the first year of our new five-year strategy. With increased investment in income generation starting in 2025, we are expanding our team to drive the growth necessary to achieve our organisational goals. Our fundraising team bridges the journey of the animals in our care with the wider public, demonstrating how their contributions enable us to support every dog and cat. We now have several new roles within this team to further our mission.
This new role will oversee the development and delivery of engaging supporter journeys across a range of channels for Battersea’s Challenge and Public events, as well as our Supporter-Led Fundraising audiences. It will play a pivotal role in maximising event and supporter-led fundraising income, ensuring every supporter has a positive experience and feels inspired to continue supporting Battersea.
What we can offer you:
In return for your commitment to our cause and to recognise the value of our employees, Battersea offers a range of benefits to support the wellbeing of our employees. These include:
- 28 days of annual leave (plus 8 days paid public holidays) per year.
- Discounted gym memberships and cycle to work schemes.
- Employee Assistance Programme and access to Wellbeing Resources.
- Generous pension contributions - up to 10% employer contribution.
- Free healthcare cash plan, where you can claim for a range of treatment including dental, optical, physiotherapy, chiropody and acupuncture every year.
- Annual interest-free season ticket loans.
We are also committed to providing learning and development to our employees. During your time with us, we provide support for your professional and career development, including access to digital and in-person training programmes, leadership and management training, mentoring and much more.
Our hybrid working model:
We operate a 50% onsite hybrid working model, with our office-based staff splitting their time between site based and home working. This enables our office-based staff to balance the benefits of home working with onsite collaboration and maintaining a connection to our cause.
Diversity and inclusion:
We are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive experience for all staff, volunteers and trustees and those hoping to join us. We operate an anonymised shortlisting process and actively seek to ensure our process is fair and equitable for all.
We understand the value of diverse voices, perspectives, and experiences to help us deliver even more for our dogs and cats, and we welcome applicants from all sections of the community.
As a Disability Confident Committed Employer we will ask about any adjustments you may need at application and/or interview stage, and if you are offered a role with us, we’ll talk to you about any workplace adjustments you may need to help you perform at your best.
More about us:
At Battersea, we aim to never turn away a dog or cat in need of help. We give each one lots of love, expert care and get to know their characters and quirks so we can find them a new home that’s just right for them. Join us and help us be here for every dog and cat, wherever they are, for as long as they need us.
Acceptable use of AI:
At Battersea, we value expertise. We recognise each candidate that applies to us will have a range of expertise they can offer us, so we want to hear about this in your own words. We understand the support that generative artificial intelligence (AI) software can offer but it can also lead to numerous applications presenting as generic and impersonal. This makes it difficult to gain understanding of your unique experience.
To best showcase yourself, we encourage you to write your responses without the assistance of AI. If you require the use of AI software to aid in completing your application, we ask you use the generative responses as a prompt for writing your answers and avoid copying and pasting. You must also ensure the information presented in your application accurately reflects your experience.
Closing date: 9th November 2025
All applications must be submitted before the closing date advertised. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications is received.
Interview date(s):
First interview: w/c 17th November 2025
Second interview (if required): w/c 24th November 2025
For full details on the role, please download the recruitment pack from our Careers website.
Registered Charity
501 - 1000
Battersea is here for every dog and cat, and has been since 1860. We believe that every dog and cat deserves the best.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.