Revenue and Welfare Benefit Practitioner

On a revenue and welfare benefit practitioner apprenticeship course, you’ll help perform various roles in local authorities such as benefit assessment, revenues calculation or customer service.

A welfare role includes determining eligibility for housing benefit and local council tax assistance, calculating benefit entitlement, scheduling payments, recalculating benefits due to changes in circumstances, reclaiming overpayment amounts, and discovering and reporting suspected fraud.

Interacting with clients to acquire information and explain challenging issues, maintaining records, counselling customers on how to maximise their income, and understanding the obstacles they face are all part of your responsibilities.

You will identify responsibility, set up and update accounts, calculate tax due, arrange payment, and initiate recovery action in a revenue or tax role.

What you’ll learn

On a revenue and welfare benefit practitioner apprenticeship course, you’ll learn to:

• Consistently treat customers with respect and consideration, adapting your approach to meet the needs of both the customer and the employer.
• Obtain the desired outcomes for the customer whenever possible. 
• Obtain all essential information in the most effective way to allow tasks to be completed, taking into consideration each client’s particular circumstances.
• Decide whether there is a likelihood of fraud, interpret and evaluate information. If required, contact the appropriate department.
• Determine if a dispute should result in a decision change and explain why, using relevant legislation.
• Handle sensitive information securely and in compliance with current legal requirements.
• Analyse and apply knowledge and laws to cope with customer conditions changes, including recalculating amounts owing as needed.
• Evaluate the customer’s situation to identify the best course of action. Take action based on this judgement to begin collecting cash due.
• Adapt your communication style and plan to the individual’s needs.
• Participate in activities to keep your knowledge current.
• Take whatever action you can to resolve difficulties or alert appropriate colleagues about them.
• Make sound judgments based on the facts at hand.
• Assist team members in obtaining the best potential outcome for the group.
• Evaluate the client’s financial status, assist with personal budgeting if necessary, or refer the client to appropriate support.

Entry requirements

You’ll usually need:

• Depending on the employer, but likely A-levels or equivalent qualifications or relevant experience.
• Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level before taking the end-point assessment.

Assessment methods

The End Point Assessment consists of three distinct assessment methods: 

• Presentation/question and answer on real cases 
• Project assignment 
• Professional discussion 

Duration, level, subjects and potential salary upon completion

Apprenticeship standard

More information about the Level 4 Revenue and Welfare Benefit Practitioner Apprenticeship standard can be found here.

Apprenticeship end point assessment

For more information about the End Point Assessment Process, please read the Institute of Apprenticeships’ information page.