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Welfare Eligibility Workers interview applicants or recipients to determine their eligibility for public assistance.   

NATURE OF THE OCCUPATION  

Welfare Eligibility Workers may:

Interpret and explain rules and regulations governing grants, methods of payment, and legal rights to applicants or recipients  

Record and evaluate personal and financial data obtained from applicants or recipients to determine initial or continuing eligibility, according to departmental directives  

Assist clients in obtaining necessary personal and financial documentation  

Initiate procedures to grant, modify, deny or terminate eligibility and grants for public welfare, employment and training assistance, and medical assistance programs  

Authorize the amount of grants, based on the determination of eligibility for the amount of money payments, food stamps, medical care, or other general assistance  

Determine the need for emergency aid, when necessary  

Identify the need for other supportive services and make referrals to the various agencies and community resources available  

Consult with local prosecutors, courts, and other agencies regarding possible fraud investigations and prosecutions  

Prepare reports and submit recommendations for consideration by their supervisor  

Conduct correspondence related to the work  

Prepare and keep records of assigned cases  

Make field calls to gather information and verify eligibility, as necessary  

Welfare Eligibility Workers may perform all of the above duties or work primarily in areas such as intake, ongoing, verification, or eligibility determination quality assurance.  

The equipment and work aids used may include:

OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTIES  

Welfare Eligibility Workers may specialize in these areas:

195.267-010 ELIGIBILITY WORKERS interview applicants or recipients to determine their eligibility for public assistance.  

168.267-038 ELIGIBILITY-AND-OCCUPANCY-INTERVIEWERS investigate prospective tenants to determine their eligibility for public low-rent housing. They interview applicants to obtain information such as family composition, health and social problems, rent paying ability, net assets, and need for housing assistance. They also provide tenants or new applicants with information on community resources for financial or social welfare assistance. Some Eligibility-and-Occupancy Interviewers also visit homes to determine housekeeping habits, verify housing conditions, and resolve tenant complaints.  

In addition to learning about these specialties, you may also find it helpful to explore the following MOISCRIPTS:  

WORKING CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS  

Welfare Eligibility Workers perform their job duties under the close supervision of a lead worker or operations supervisor, and under general supervision of a branch manager. They generally work on a face-to-face basis with applicants or recipients. They work in an office setting, with surroundings well lighted and comfortably heated or air-conditioned.  

Welfare Eligibility Workers must exercise good judgment and present a professional demeanor in instances where applicants or recipients become upset, unruly, or threatening as a result of a denial or reduction of benefits.  

Eligibility Workers usually work a 5-day, 40-hour week and may have to work overtime when caseloads increase. They may travel in their local area to gather and/or verify information on an applicant's eligibility.  

Welfare Eligibility Workers may belong to professional and/or employee organizations where they work and usually must pay periodic dues.  

You Should Prefer:

• Activities involving direct personal contact with people  

• Activities concerned with communicating information to people  

You Should Be Able To:

• Use reason and logic  

• Know the meanings/relationships of words and use them effectively  

• See detail/errors in numbers/spelling/punctuation in written  

materials  

• Perform arithmetical operations quickly and accurately  

• Rate information using standards that can be measured or checked  

• Deal effectively with people beyond giving and receiving instructions  

• Rate information by using personal judgment  

• Use tact and consider the feelings of others  

Math Problem You Should Be Able to Solve:

If an applicant works as a receptionist earning $200 a week and her ex-husband pays her $300 a month for alimony, what is her yearly income?  

Reading Example You Should Be Able to Read and Comprehend:

The portion of the insurance premium paid by the individual will begin to be deducted from the individual's pay check.  

Writing Example You Should Be Able to Produce:

You should be able to write a report explaining an individuals need for public assistance.  

Thinking Skill You Should Be Able to Demonstrate:

You should be able to look at an individuals record and then decide if he or she is eligible for public assistance.  

For positions in government, Welfare Eligibility Workers must usually meet certain education and/or experience qualifications, as well as pass a civil service exam. Some Eligibility Workers may be required to know a foreign language in order to serve some clients.  

EDUCATION AND PREPARATION OPPORTUNITIES  

NOTE: A High School Diploma or Equivalent may qualify a person for this occupation.

The following education and preparation opportunities are helpful in preparing for occupations in the MOIScript:  

***SCHOOL SUBJECTS***

0700 CAREERS , 0900 COMMUNICATIONS , 1000 COMPUTERS , 1700 GOVERNMENT , 2200 MATH , 3000 SOCIAL STUDIES

***VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS***

There are no Vocational Education Programs related to this MOIScript  

***POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS***

There are no Postsecondary Programs related to this MOIScript  

                Search for a College and/or Instructional Program

***APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES***

There are no Apprenticeships related to this MOIScript  

***MILITARY TRAINING PROGRAMS***

There are no Military Programs related to this MOIScript  

E-Learning Courses and Programs

OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPERIENCE AND METHODS OF ENTRY  

There are several ways to explore this field of work, including obtaining summer or part-time clerical work with governmental agencies and performing volunteer work with community organizations for the needy.  

               School-to-Work opportunities include:

informal apprenticeships  

mentorships  

job shadowing experiences  

touring a local Welfare Eligibility Worker employer  

internships  

volunteer work with a Welfare Eligibility Worker employer  

community service work with an agency  

The most common method of entry is direct application to state civil service offices or private employers. Assistance in locating a job may be obtained from school placement offices or a local office of Michigan Works!.  

EARNINGS AND ADVANCEMENT  

The earnings of Welfare Eligibility Workers vary according to the employer (private or public), the type of position, the qualifications of the person, and level of responsibility.  

Nationally, the median salary of all Welfare Eligibility Workers was $23,660 per year in 1996.  

Annual salaries paid to Welfare Eligibility Workers employed by the State of Michigan  were (mid 1997):  

After several years of State of Michigan  government employment, Welfare Eligibility Workers may receive an annual longevity payment in addition to their regular salary. Eligibility Workers are also reimbursed for job related travel expenses.  

In the City of Detroit , Eligibility-and-Occupancy Interviewers earned the following salaries (1997):  

Welfare Eligibility Workers employed by private agencies generally earn lower salaries.  

Eligibility Workers may receive life, accident, disability, and hospitalization insurance; paid vacations and holidays; paid sick leave; and retirement plans. These benefits are usually paid for, at least in part, by the employer. Some Welfare Eligibility Workers also receive optical and dental benefits.  

Advancement to higher level positions, including welfare services supervisor, depends on such factors as experience, ability to supervise, and level of education. In some cases, promotions are based on competitive civil service examinations.  

EMPLOYMENT AND OUTLOOK  

Nationally, there were approximately 104,100 Welfare Eligibility Workers employed in 1996. Employment of Welfare Eligibility Workers is expected to grow more slowly than the average through the year 2005. Government employed almost all of them; 49.1% by local and 46.7% by state. A small number were employed by other social service agencies. The industry distribution for Welfare Eligibility Workers looked like this:  

There are about 7,575 Welfare Eligibility Workers employed in Michigan  . The majority of Eligibility Workers (80%) worked in or near metropolitan areas and large cities.  

The employment of Welfare Eligibility Workers is expected to grow about as fast as the average through the year 2005. An average of 230 annual openings is expected during the period, with 120 openings due to growth and 110 due to replacement of workers who retire or leave the labor force for other reasons. Some additional openings will occur as workers change jobs or occupations.  

In recent years, adverse economic conditions have greatly increased the number of people seeking assistance through government and community agency programs, including general assistance, medical care, food stamp, and housing subsidy programs. Thus, there has been a need for more Eligibility Workers to interview and evaluate applicants' requests for assistance. In the near future, demand for these workers will depend on the economy and funding of the programs by government and private agencies. Increased computerization of some program operations will increase Eligibility Workers' productivity and have a limiting impact on their employment.  

MICHIGAN 'S EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK TO 2005

SOURCES OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION  

Printed Occupational information is available upon written request from the sources below.  

   MOISCRIPTS are Copyright 2003, Michigan Department of Career Development