Eligibility Worker

Department       Human Services

Classification     Grade 11

Reports to         Financial Assistance Supervisor

                              Human Services Director                

Unit                     Teamsters Local 320 – Human Services                   

Supervises         N/A

FLSA Status        Non-exempt

Position Description 

Perform a variety of tasks related to the determination of eligibility of clients for income maintenance programs and services; establish initial and on-going eligibility for multiple income maintenance programs; communicate program requirements and assist program participants in understanding how to maintain eligibility; support program participants in achieving the highest degree of independence and in addressing barriers to self-sufficiency; provide education, enrollment and assistance to managed health care enrollees; make appropriate referrals to other community resources.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Interview and advise clients to determine and maintain eligibility for public assistance programs, including cash, food, medical, and child care benefits.


• Serve as a central point of coordination for financial, health care, employment, and child support services; provide referrals to community resources; and promote client self-sufficiency.


• Handle client inquiries, complaints, appeals, and legal proceedings, prepare case documentation and reports, collaborate with community agencies and law enforcement, and contribute to policy and procedure development.

Qualifications and Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Minimum qualifications

• 3 years clerical work experience or experience working with the public, or some combination of the two, totaling three years;

          OR 2 years clerical work experience in a social services/human services agency;

          OR 2 years of study at an accredited two-or four-year college or university or similar institution, with emphasis in the behavioral sciences, business, or closely related              subjects (at least 23 quarter credits or 16 semester credits);

          OR successful completion of the technical college Human Services Eligibility Worker diploma program (applicants must be within six months of completion of the                      program);

          OR successful completion of the technical college Human Services Eligibility Worker certificate program will substitute for one year of the required clerical work                        experience or experience working with the public.

• Valid Driver’s License

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge: Office procedures, practices, equipment and software programs. Multiple complex computer systems. Interviewing techniques and skills in conducting interviews. Income maintenance program rules, regulations, benefits and methods of determining eligibility. Other sources of financial support, including Social Security, reemployment insurance, veteran’s benefits, worker’s compensation, and disability insurance/pension programs. Basic principles of foster care, child and adult protection criteria, and a general understanding of mental and physical illnesses. Community resources such as emergency housing, food, social services and diversionary assistance programs. Real and personal property, estate and ownership laws, and their relationships to public assistance program eligibility. Human behavior. Agency programs, operations, policies and procedures. Adhere to all laws, statutes, policies and rules with the essential level of confidentiality and safety required of the position.

Skills: Proficient in using automated systems relevant to the position.  Communicate effectively both orally and in writing with all stakeholders relevant to the position.  Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills, accuracy, and problem solving.

Abilities: Attend meeting, conferences, and trainings, via a reliable means of transportation. Effectively explain income maintenance programs and procedures to recipients who are distraught. Handle frequent procedural changes and client personal and financial crises. Organize work, set priorities, make decisions and work independently under stress. Be objective/non-judgmental. Accurately and rapidly process detailed information. Establish and maintain accurate and systematic records. Express ideas clearly and ability to comprehend and follow complex written and verbal instructions. Interpret legal documents, complex rules, manual materials and bulletins as they apply to income maintenance programs. Maintain confidentiality. Establish and maintain effective working relationships.  Follow established procedures and directives from supervisors. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Work experience with Microsoft Word, Excel.


• Work experience determining program eligibility.

Physical Requirements

Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body.  Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time.  Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

Note (Management Right)

The above position description is intended to represent only the key areas of responsibilities; specific position assignments will vary depending on the business needs of the department.  Regular attendance on the job and the performance of other duties as assigned are required.  The County retains the discretion to add or change the contents of this position description at any time.