ERIC WILLIAMS

I believe I have the essential requirements which are based on the person's specification for the above post I am applying for. My motivation for applying for the role is based on my past and previous job experience I have gained while I was employed as a Welfare Rights Advisor throughout the course of my career.

I have decades experience of working with people from different backgrounds, including mental health clients, single homeless, single parents, young people (16 -19) from diverse cultural backgrounds, asylum seekers, refugees and migrants, ex-offenders, and older vulnerable people in our society. My primary involvement with these vulnerable groups has led mainly to the assessments of their welfare benefit including benefit claims. When employed as a Welfare Benefits Specialist my already developed skills and experience will enable me to deal with these client groups, which will be a valuable asset in meeting their general welfare and development needs. 

I have decades experience of working with people from different backgrounds, including mental health clients, single homeless, single parents, young people (16 -19) from diverse cultural backgrounds, asylum seekers, refugees and migrants, ex-offenders, and older vulnerable people in our society. My primary involvement with these vulnerable groups has led mainly to the assessments of their welfare benefit including benefit claims. When employed as a Welfare Benefits Specialist my already developed skills and experience will enable me to deal with these client groups, which will be a valuable asset in meeting their general welfare and development needs. 

I understand the requirement of Housing Management concerning customer care, equal opportunities, and the economics of maintenance. Most of these have been through my contacts with other agencies in the course of my duties. I believe I can, with my background quickly acquire the requisite skills to provide the excellent but demanding service expected of the post holder. As a Welfare Benefit Officer my listening skills developed in the course of my career, will be an invaluable asset in my performance. I understand the concept of the best value and its demand on Financial Resources as well as the constant demands on Budget Management, Financial Control, and Statistical Monitoring. My career has primarily involved Financial Assessment and reporting my strength in Mathematical Computations remains an invaluable asset here. As a Welfare Benefits Specialist , I would firmly have to work within tight budgets, the efficient use of which will affect positively the service delivery objectives of the trust.

Over the years, I have worked with people from different backgrounds and sometimes with different languages from English. My experience has spanned that empathy, understanding, and good listening skills are the main rudiments of success. I am proficient in the use of the English language – constantly improving my written communication with clarity in correspondences, reports, and presentations.

Working with people from such a diverse but vulnerable sector of our society is no doubt stressful. It also requires a natural tendency to care. Over the years, I have been able to solve problems on my own initiative – making use of my experience and my ability to balance needs with available resources. I enjoy working with the society of our society. This has been the main antidote to stress. My career background has involved the assessment of Housing and Welfare benefit claims for single parents, young people (16 -19), and older people in our communities. My training in customer care will be valuable to your Organization. 

Social exclusives are disadvantaged in almost all aspects of economic and general welfare. Adequate and suitable Housing and benefit are paramount. Their special maintenance and adaptation needs are equally important. While employed, and in addition to ensuring the above, I shall also strive to make customers want by providing them with friendly, helpful, and Empathy with their circumstances but yet give a professional service. My career client group includes people with Cancer, single parents, pensioners, asylum seekers, refugees and migrants, older people, young people (16 -19), learning disabilities, the homeless as well as the mentally and physically disabled. 

All forms of challenging behaviour can be coped with, as a result of my experience, which I will use to benefit customers and your Organization. I have dealt with various agencies in the course of my career including various Housing Associations and other Social and Local Authorities, Law centres and firms, Advisory Service groups, the police, and the probation office. In my previous and present job, assessment and re-assessment of claims normally involve close liaison with these agencies. As a Welfare Benefits Specialist, my client group and contacts will include the Social Services, the Occupational Therapy Units DWP, Jobcentres, Home Office, HM Revenues & Customs, and other NHS Organizations. When employed, I shall strive to build on the success already made in your Organization –based on my teamwork skills and my continuous effort to learn.

With the above being said my previous and current role has entail in me offering  professional information, advice, training and consultation and support to staff within the service and assisting on a wide range of issues affecting all the vulnerable client I see within the team by helping them to find the best solutions to all their difficult problems with claiming benefits, multiple debts and poverty which include -:

Universal credit, and other types of benefits and eligibility criteria, ie PIP AA, Pension Credit, external grants and hardship funding streams as required to meet their needs and also coordinate the access and distribution of food, energy or fuel vouchers  and by letting this client group know how the benefits changes would affect their personal finances.

I also help give advice on issues like managing their bills, budgeting this I do by conducting interviews and using income & expenditure to determine how they are spending their money which helps me to develop a quality financial action plans for that client in order for them to see their out-going and incoming so that they are able to budget and this gives me the opportunity in letting them know their priority bills and non-priority bills which include fines and Council Tax, as well as their rent or mortgage, including arrears I also help to support and assist my client with applications for discretionary housing payments and appeals, including complex housing benefit cases and backdate requests and I would also help to empower my client by educating them on financial products available to ensure they receive the best service and benefits they are entitled to plus offer guidance and support to all vulnerable in order to help them manage their finances and prevent any debt build up. 

Current training on -:

• Personal Independence Payment (PIP) replaces Disability Living Allowance
• Employment and SupportAllowance (ESA)
• Training on No Recourse to Public Fund  2021
•  Training on Universal Credit & Welfare Reform