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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.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • 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.
    • 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.
    • Provide social workers with pertinent information gathered during applicant interviews.
    • Refer applicants to job openings or to interviews with other staff, in accordance with administrative guidelines or office procedures.
    • Compute and authorize amounts of assistance for programs, such as grants, monetary payments, and food stamps.
    • Answer applicants' questions about benefits and claim procedures.
    • Provide applicants with assistance in completing application forms, such as those for job referrals or unemployment compensation claims.
    • Prepare applications and forms for applicants for such purposes as school enrollment, employment, and medical services.
    • Monitor the payments of benefits throughout the duration of a claim.
    • Conduct annual, interim, and special housing reviews and home visits to ensure conformance to regulations.
    • Check with employers or other references to verify answers and obtain further information.
    • Schedule benefits claimants for adjudication interviews to address questions of eligibility.
    • Interview benefits recipients at specified intervals to certify their eligibility for continuing benefits.
    • Keep records of assigned cases, and prepare required reports.
    • Investigate claimants for the possibility of fraud or abuse.

    Skills

    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.

    Abilities

    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.

    Knowledge

    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    Education

    Education
    High school diploma or equivalent
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    1 to 12 months on-the-job training

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    62900/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    30.24/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    3,920
    Yearly Projected Openings
    400

    Personality

    Conventional: People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Attention to Detail
    • Integrity
    • Concern for Others
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Dependability
    • Adaptability/Flexibility

    Tools

    • Automobiles or cars
    • Laser fax machine
    • Personal computers
    • Photocopiers
    • Pocket calculator
    • Scanners
    • Special purpose telephones
    • Typewriters

    Technology

    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Calendar and scheduling software
    • Data base reporting software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Data compression software
    • Document management software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Internet browser software
    • Medical software
    • Office suite software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Video conferencing software
    • Word processing software