Will “Contact Agent” be Automated?

Core Skills & Abilities

• Interpret and explain information such as eligibility requirements, application details, payment methods, and applicants' legal rights.

• Interview and investigate applicants for public assistance to gather information pertinent to their applications.

• Compute and authorize amounts of assistance for programs, such as grants, monetary payments, and food stamps.

• Schedule benefits claimants for adjudication interviews to address questions of eligibility.

• Interview benefits recipients at specified intervals to certify their eligibility for continuing benefits.

• Conduct annual, interim, and special housing reviews and home visits to ensure conformance to regulations.

• Refer applicants to job openings or to interviews with other staff, in accordance with administrative guidelines or office procedures.

• Initiate procedures to grant, modify, deny, or terminate assistance, or refer applicants to other agencies for assistance.

• Investigate claimants for the possibility of fraud or abuse.

• Prepare applications and forms for applicants for such purposes as school enrollment, employment, and medical services.

• Provide social workers with pertinent information gathered during applicant interviews.

• Check with employers or other references to verify answers and obtain further information.

• 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.

• Keep records of assigned cases, and prepare required reports.

• Monitor the payments of benefits throughout the duration of a claim.

• Compile, record, and evaluate personal and financial data to verify completeness and accuracy, and to determine eligibility status.