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Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs

Determine eligibility of persons applying to receive assistance from government programs and agency resources, such as welfare, unemployment benefits, social security, and public housing.

What you’d do

  • Compute and authorize amounts of assistance for programs, such as grants, monetary payments, and food stamps.
  • Keep records of assigned cases, and prepare required reports.
  • Compile, record, and evaluate personal and financial data to verify completeness and accuracy, and to determine eligibility status.
  • Interview and investigate applicants for public assistance to gather information pertinent to their applications.
  • Interview benefits recipients at specified intervals to certify their eligibility for continuing benefits.
  • Interpret and explain information such as eligibility requirements, application details, payment methods, and applicants' legal rights.
  • Initiate procedures to grant, modify, deny, or terminate assistance, or refer applicants to other agencies for assistance.
  • Check with employers or other references to verify answers and obtain further information.

Skills that matter

  • Speaking
  • Active Listening
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Writing
  • Service Orientation

How to get there

Medium preparation: usually vocational school, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree

Also called

  • Eligibility Specialist
  • Eligibility Worker
  • Social Welfare Examiner (SWEX)
  • Workforce Services Representative (WSR)
  • Benefits Program Tech (Benefits Program Technician)
  • Business and Employment Specialist

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