Adviser skills - writing benefit challenges

About this course

Build your skills with this practical course on effective drafting for benefit casework. Clear, concise and professional document preparation dramatically increases the chances of success for your clients. Whether you are acting on your client’s behalf or helping your client to draft a letter, the same principles apply. 

This course is a guide to identifying the facts that are relevant to the matter you want the challenge, structuring these in a clear and concise way, setting out the law you want to rely on, and formulating your arguments effectively. 

The course looks at the key stages of document preparation:  

• Preparation and research – what does your document want to achieve? Working out which facts and law are relevant to your objective.
• Planning – structuring your document professionally.
• Drafting – setting out the facts and law clearly and concisely, including citing legislation and caselaw correctly.
• Checking – ensuring your document is correct, its objective is clear, and your arguments are persuasive. 
• Please note that this course is a companion to our Understanding social security law and finding it online training. 

Method of delivery and timings 

This half-day standard-level course is delivered online via Zoom. It runs from 10am to 1pm, with a half hour break between 11.15am-11.45am. 

It is a practical course delivered using a combination of trainer presentation, exercises and group discussion. Participants will need a Wi-Fi connection and a suitable device to access the internet. It is not recommended to join via a mobile phone.