I have provided Benefits Advice in my previous job for a Housing Association and am now just give benefits advice part-time for a charity. Our funders are asking if we need to be accreditted or qualified to give advice. I don't believe we have to be.

Any views on this would be welcome.

Many thanks

Tim

Hello Tim. I don't think you need any qualifications to give welfare rifghts advice (although probably need insurance)

You don't need qualifications as such, although some have been developed of late.

What is usually more important to funders is some kind of quality assurance for the service overall - it might be worth getting in touch with Advice UK as I understand that they have a QM in development that is likely to be introduced from next year.

And indemnity insurance is a must, again something that AUK can help out with.

I know there's post grad's in social security law but for those of us who is self-educated or uneducated, innit, that aint no good.

I haven't heard of or seen anything else, but if you do find something please post up details.

Don't be to hasty Tony, you've got a wealth of skills and experience that a lot of post grad course leaders would value more than you would imagine over formal qualifications.

For whats it worth University of North London on the Holloway Road used to run a P/T course can't remember if it was MA, or post grad cert, which if it still exists is worth checking out.

well i did benefits as part of my law degree many years ago... don't know if it's offered now ... but never heard of any formal courses solely for welfs...

Different unis/colleges might do some courses. For instance, many years ago I did a one year course, one day a week, called “Professional Development in Welfare Rights” run by the law faculty at one of the local universities. So, shop around.

And, no, you don’t have to be qualified, just good or willing to learn.

although no doubt at some point the LSC might start insisting that people become qualified, thus leading someone to invent a qualification...

Years and years ago when I was lecturing it was a condition that ALL solicitors who wanted to do legal aid had to have a welfare benefits qualification. I even ran a few. Don't think it lasted very long mind.

i think you have to have someone who's been on a welfare benefits course ....

I did a 20 week course - A Certificate in Welfare Rights - for one day a week at John Moores University. This was back in 1994 and, apart from having to get a 5 am train every Friday for 20 weeks, i enjoyed it and found it worthwhile.

I did something similar for a year at the Southbank University (Elephant and Castle South London) in the mid 90's, and the course Tutor Marian Niman (works for Kent County Council and from time to time writes pertinent letters to the Guardian), i'm sure she did a subsequent one at the University of East London (Aldgate/Whitechapel).

I sure its Stafford University (college in Staffordshire) does a Degree might be correspondence degree in Welfdom.

But the most interesting and challenging one was the University of North London (i'm sure it was a MA involving a dissertation). If i was on that Bus route i'd go for it.

Yep, you're right, Staffordshire University do a degree in advice work. You can either do it as a full time degree or it can be done as a part time distance learning degree. (only know this as my wife has just graduated having spent 6 years studying for this!)

Congratulations to your Partner!

Indeed! Think I've spent the last 6 years proof reading every essay and assignment - I've argued that I should have been given an honourary degree on this basis!

WOt you need is our Doctorate in Welfare Rites from the prestijus (unaccreditid) universitie we are finking of starting.

... or, more seriously, does anyone validate or assess the different CPD points schemes that seem to exist or just take them at face value?

who knows! for solicitors, you're supposed to run the CPD courses past the SRA, but apart from that i don't know....if i do a benefits course for CPD purposes, i usually look at who the speaker is, and who's running it, and form a view from there as to whether to do it or not....