Welfare Rights Adviser

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.