You can generally get into the sector by gaining experience, volunteering for advice centres and agencies dealing with welfare and benefits. You can receive training on critical skills like interviewing. You can also opt for qualifications like NVQ Level 2 in Advice and Guidance Support.

You need to have good levels of general education, with some GCSEs including English and maths. However, most employers are more interested in your experience than academic qualifications. If you plan becoming a welfare rights officer, you can opt for subjects like social studies, community work, etc at the degree level. Remember, it is not essential to have these qualifications, because your experience in more important.

You can also opt for various training programs offered by external agencies and can work towards qualifications like NVQ in Advice and Guidance support.