Volunteer Client Support Assistant

Role Purpose:

To help clients complete their application forms for key benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP), and Employment Support Allowance (ESA), enabling them to access vital financial support. This role offers excellent progression opportunity.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Engage with the client to build rapport and trust.
• Access appropriate websites and identify relevant forms and self-help information.
• Empower the client to complete any parts of the form that they are able to do themselves.
• Work through the form with the client to help them understand how the questions relate to them and their situation, and how it affects their life.
• Using interviewing skills, identify and gather additional relevant information and evidence if appropriate to ensure best chance of success for the client.
• Include any necessary medical or supporting evidence.
• Ensure the client is clear on next steps including who is to send the form, what happens next, and what further support we can or cannot provide.
• Record the appointment appropriately on our database system, and upload any scanned documents.
• Seek support from the Supervisor as needed.

Hear from our volunteers about why they volunteer with Citizen's Advice:

Volunteer David: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7ctFlWpcbU 

Volunteer Alby: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=putVbVaR40k 

What skills do I need?

Personal Skills and Qualities

Specific qualifications or experience are not required to train for the role, but you will need to:

• Be empathetic and have good interpersonal communication skills.
• Have good interviewing skills, including effective questioning, listening and the ability to move the interview forward in a timely fashion.
• Be able to analyse symptoms / impact and ability to match questions to the relevant descriptors.
• Have good IT / Typing / Recording skills.