Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
DWP Appeals Presenting Officer
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Poole Jobcentre Plus, BH15 1NZ and Southampton Jobcentre Plus, SO14 3PJ
Job Summary
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) handles welfare, pensions, and child maintenance policy. As the UK’s biggest public service department, DWP administers the State Pension and a range of working age, disability, and ill health benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers.
The Dispute Resolution Service (DRS) provides our customers with the ability to challenge a benefit decision through a Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) or to submit an appeal against a benefit decision.
In DRS we work with our customers to understand their individual circumstances, collate and interpret evidence and make decisions that have real life impact.
Appeals Presenting Officers (POs) act on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions, representing the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions at hearings before the First-tier Tribunal and attending HM Courts and Tribunals Service sites. You will receive training in understanding the benefit lines, using multiple computer systems, preparing and presenting appeals at hearings. Initially, you will be supported by experienced POs. You will use digital technology to facilitate attendance at online video and telephone hearings, as well as in-person hearings, as required.
The role requires the ability to present and communicate in a confident, clear, concise, and professional manner.
You will need to build and maintain professional partnerships with internal stakeholders, promoting continuous improvement and excellent customer service.
These locations are linked to Tribunal Centres in the South and South East of England.
This role will involve significant travel and potential overnight stays. Expenses are payable as per DWP Policy.
Job Description
As an Appeals Presenting Officer you will:
- Review and prepare for each case thoroughly prior to the hearing.
- Ensure decisions under appeal have followed the law and DWP instructions.
- Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure Judicial directions are complied with and outstanding queries are answered prior to the hearing.
- Attend allocated hearings, either in person, via video conference or telephony facilities, acting as a representative and maintaining professional relationships with stakeholders.
- Present and summarise the Department’s decision in an effective and professional manner, answering judicial questions, focusing on the evidence to help ensure the right decision is reached and ensuring any communication supports the complex needs of our customers.
- Scrutinises available systems to ensure robust delivery of benefit decisions, ask the customer inquisitorial questions as appropriate and consider new evidence and points raised during the hearing.
- Ensure decisions made by the Tribunal follow the law.
Collaborating with your Manager and within the prescribed timelines you will:
- Give constructive and professional feedback to the original Case Manager, Decision Maker, Quality Lead and Health Care Professionals as required.
- Identify cases where onward challenge to the Upper Tribunal may be appropriate.
- Prioritise and proactively progress cases as directed.
Person specification
Essential Criteria - candidates will need to demonstrate how to:
- Lead Criteria - Communicate information clearly and effectively to different audiences, adapting your approach and communication style where needed. Demonstrate the ability to handle sensitive or challenging conversations professionally and respectfully.
- Build positive and trusted working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders. Encourage and support others to achieve shared goals and deliver a high standard of customer service.
- Review, interpret and analyse complex information. Identify the key points, use evidence to support recommendations, and explain reasoning in a clear and understandable way.
- Proactively manage your allocated work to support business demands. Remaining flexible and adaptable when priorities or circumstances change, while following agreed processes and procedures.
- Take responsibility for delivering work accurately and within agreed timescales, ensuring commitments and quality standards are met.
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Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Managing a Quality Service
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
Alongside your salary of £32,137, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £9,310 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
DWP have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:
- Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
- Generous annual leave – at least 23 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
- Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
- Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
- Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
- Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
- An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
Written Application
As part of the application process you will be asked to provide a CV, setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. The CV is an on-line tool accessed through the Civil Service Jobsite and there is no requirement to upload your personal CV. Our CV element is short and allows an initial check of eligibility.
It will be used for information purposes only and will not be assessed, therefore, please put the main content of your evidence and skills in your Personal Statement.
Personal Statement (maximum 1250 words)
The Personal Statement should explain how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, based on the Essential Criteria set out in the Person Specification.
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When completing your Personal Statement, please read and understand the Essential Criteria thoroughly, as this is what your written evidence will be assessed against. Your layout is entirely your preference; you may choose narrative, bullets, etc. You may choose to address each criteria separately however, one narrative example may cover and evidence several essential criteria.
Please ensure you evidence and explain what you did that is relatable to those requirements. You do not have to explain the whole process, just what skills and experience you have used.
In The Event Of a Large Number Of Applications Being Received, An Initial Sift May Be Conducted Using The Lead Criteria
Communicate information clearly and effectively to different audiences, adapting your approach and communication style where needed. Demonstrate the ability to handle sensitive or challenging conversations professionally and respectfully.
Candidates who meet the minimum standard required in the initial sift, will be progressed to a full sift.
Disability Confident Scheme
If high application volumes are received, the benchmark for candidates to proceed to the next stage may be raised. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to advance all candidates applying under the DCS who meet the minimum standard. However, we may only progress those candidates who best meet the required standards.
Anonymisation
DWP operates an anonymised recruitment process, you should remove any personal details that could be used to identify you. Failure to do so will result in your application being withdrawn.
Integrity, Plagiarism and Civil Service Principles
The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.
Examples of plagiarism can include:
- Presenting the work, ideas and experience of others as your own
- Copying content from an online or published source that is not your own
Interview
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a face-to-face interview lasting up to 50 minutes. The interview panel will be a minimum of two people. During the interview you will be asked a mixture of Behaviour and Strength questions. The Behaviours being assessed are detailed in the job advert. Strength based questions explore - what you do regularly, what you do well and what motivates you. Candidates may be asked probing questions if their response is deemed to require further information to determine suitability for the role.
The written application sift is scheduled to start week commencing 17th August 2026.
Interview dates are scheduled to start week commencing 7th September 2026.
Please note that these dates are only indicative and could be subject to change.
Offer
Once all interviews have been completed, candidates will be notified of the outcome by email and offers will be made in merit order.
Acceptance of an offer confirms your agreement to accept appointment to a post at one of the locations listed in this advert.
Further Information
At the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are
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