Our Advice Service offers free and impartial advice on a range of topics to anyone over the age of 65, their families and carers, including advice about money, benefits and carrying out full welfare benefits checks to ensure that people are receiving everything they are entitled to. We know that a lot of older people don’t claim the benefits to which they are entitled which could make a significant difference to their financial situation. For some of those older people, support completing benefit forms can be really helpful.

As a Form Filling volunteer, you will play a crucial role in helping older people to claim the benefits they are entitled to by helping them to complete different benefit forms over the phone.

This role involves

• Assisting someone to fill out a benefit form over the phone.
• Writing letters or emails to older people with personalised information to support their benefit applications.
• Contacting older people to check the outcome of benefit applications.
• Signposting Independent Age’s free guides and information on benefits.
• Working as part of a team with other Independent Age volunteers and members of staff, as well as individually.

To be a Form Filling Volunteer, you will need good communication skills, to be friendly and approachable, able to handle confidential data and sensitive information, have good IT skills and a willingness to learn. You will be given training on benefits and form filling as well as any other additional training required for the role. The role will be based at our head office in London, and we ask that you can commit to the role for at least half a day per week for a minimum of six months. 

To find out more about the Form Filling Volunteer role, take a look at the role description.

Benefits to you

• A chance to make a difference to people’s lives by providing them with invaluable support.
• An opportunity to meet and speak to people from a range of backgrounds.
• Develop new skills and experience.
• A chance to help others and be part of something.

Please note, to undertake this role you will be required to travel to our office in London at least once a week. Reasonable out of pocket expenses will be covered.