Our helpline is awash with calls from mothers who are really struggling due to the cost of living crisis and the ever increasing cost of childcare. They desperately need help to understand what benefits they are entitled to, how to claim those benefits, and anything else they can do to save money. We are looking for a benefits expert who can lend their expertise to us for 2 hours a week. Your advice could make the difference between a mother being able to put food on the table for her children, or not.  The PTS volunteer team are an incredible bunch who are experts in HR, many have lived experience of pregnancy and maternity discrimination. We all care deeply about child poverty, and the unnecessary challenges mothers experience when trying to earn an income.  In 2021, the fantastic volunteers on our advice line spoke to over 4,255 women, providing around 60 hours of support every week. 

What we need from you:

• Two hours of your time each week
• General knowledge of welfare benefits, including: universal credit, child benefit, parental leave, maternity allowance, benefits for disabled parents and parents of disabled children, tax credits, benefits you can claim whilst on maternity leave, and childcare benefits
• The ability to cope with challenging and emotionally charged conversations  

 

What you can expect from us:

• Training and onboarding before you start
• 1-2-1 drop-in sessions and support from the core team
• Training and workshop sessions throughout the year. Recent training has included: Identifying vicarious trauma, mock tribunal training, and disability inclusion training
• Access to our volunteer events calendar and a dedicated online space
• A support network of experienced HR professionals and a legal team
• Invitations to online and offline social events organised by Pregnant Then Screwed

 

How does it work?

This is a home based position. You decide what 2 hours a week suit you best and then we will advertise this service to our community. All you need is a mobile phone. You will use a special number to log into our system and then all relevant calls will be diverted to you. You will log the details of the call into our CRM and you will be supported by our Support Service Coordinator and Head of Operations. The only mandatory training is onboarding which takes about 1 hour to complete. 

 

What if I can’t help them?

We will provide you with a list of organisations to whom you can signpost people should you be unable to help. 

 

What if my caller has a mental health issue? 

We also run a mental health support line. Should the client sound as though they need mental health support, or should they request mental health support, we will give you the necessary details so you can patch them through to a specialist 

 

How to apply

Please Email: [email protected] explaining your previous experience, any qualifications you may have, and your availability and send a copy of your CV. There is no deadline for applications but we will close this role once the positions have been filled. 

“I have been volunteering on the helpline for Pregnant Then Screwed for approximately 4 months. Women call the helpline to get advice on their employment rights and it’s my job, along with around 100 other volunteers, to advise them on their rights and what their next steps should be.  Often it can be that women are not aware of their rights, or that companies are not aware of their obligations. Sometimes it’s just a case of explaining their rights and advising on how to handle their situation best, but it can be that the situation requires legal advice, in which case I refer them to the legal team.  I am supported by a great team of other volunteers who have vast amounts of experience in this area- it’s great to share knowledge and advise each other”. Katryn, PTS volunteer & HR Manager