Contract: Full Time (35 hours per week), Permanent
Hours: 35 hours per week
Location: Manchester
Starting salary: GBP 34,220 per annum
Closing date: 16.08.2026
Expected date of interviews: w/c 31.08.2026
Job ref: VA795
We have an exciting opportunity for a welfare advisor based within our Legal Advice and Welfare Services (LAWS) team.
About the role
Do you want to use your extensive welfare benefits and/or asylum support experience to help torture survivors realise their welfare rights and entitlements?
Freedom from Torture is a human rights organisation that provides rehabilitation to survivors of torture. We are looking for someone who shares our passion for human rights to join our team in Manchester.
The Welfare Advisor works within the holistic rehabilitation model of Freedom from Torture and provides welfare advice and advocacy to our clients, forming part of a multi-disciplinary team. You will receive, process and manage welfare referrals, and act as a point of contact on welfare issues primarily for the Manchester centre, and to a smaller degree, the Scotland Centre.
This role requires careful and sensitive delivery of complex welfare information and advice, often to very vulnerable clients. You must have in-depth knowledge of the welfare rights and benefits available to asylum seekers and/or refugees. This may include completing Section 4 applications, or appealing negative benefits decisions on health or vulnerability grounds.
About you
The ideal candidate for the role will have the following:
* Experience of working within a similar role providing advocacy on a range of welfare issues to include housing, welfare benefits and Asylum Support
* Extensive experience of working within the benefits system, including the application, assessment and appeals procedures
* Experience working with refugees and asylum seekers and an understanding of the needs of this group and the associated support services and mechanisms available
* Experience of liaising with external agencies and government bodies to ensure that service users are given access to their available welfare rights and entitlements.
At interview you will need to demonstrate your ability to identify welfare needs and provide appropriate advice and recommendations. You will be given a case study to work through and you will be asked to share your analysis and plan with us.
In return, we offer a competitive package, with a generous 30-day annual leave entitlement, and 6% employer pension contribution (minimum 1% employee contribution).
For this role, the salary range is GBP 34,220 - GBP 39,696.
Please note a CV and a cover letter addressing the job description and person specification of the role are mandatory to be considered for the position.
Freedom from Torture is committed to its responsibilities under safeguarding. This post is subject to a satisfactory DBS disclosure, as well as a need for full employment history and up to date employment references.
Freedom from Torture is an equal opportunity employer. People with lived experience of torture or asylum, from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ individuals and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. No agencies please.
Application link: https://freedomfromtorture.peoplehr.net/Pages/JobBoard/Opening.aspx?v=6fe4bd51-8905-42fb-86a3-40533a12e086