What does an eligibility worker do?
An eligibility worker is in charge of determining an individual's eligibility for social services and benefits such as financial and housing aid. Their responsibilities include gathering and reviewing applications, conducting interviews and assessments, and coordinating with various agencies to arrange services. They also assist individuals by understanding and identifying their needs, answering inquiries, referring them to services and other agencies, helping them fill out forms and other requirements, and updating them with the progress of their applications.
Eligibility worker responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real eligibility worker resumes:
- Calculate and determine benefits and renewals for applicants to state entitlement programs, CalFresh and Medi-Cal.
- Greet the clients when they come to apply to foodstamps, calworks or medical.
- Interview clients for food stamps, TANF and Medicaid to see if they are eligible to receive benefits.
- Plan, implement and coordinate programs and services to TANF recipients and their family members in order to promote self-sufficiency.
- Carry all the cases for the entire county of individuals who are self employ but still eligible for Calworks and/or foodstamps.
- Gather require information and documentation to determine eligibility in the Medi-Cal program while implementing policies and regulations.
- Make accurate mathematical computations and complete forms necessary to authorize, continue, and modify CalFresh allotment.
- Collaborate with community organizations to provide Medicaid specific information
- Possess strong working CIV and other computer relate knowledge.
- Maintain strictly confidentiality and HIPPA compliance.
- Conduct thorough investigations following HIPPA protocols and regulations.
- Collaborate with community organizations to provide Medicaid specific information
Eligibility worker skills and personality traits
We calculated that 10% of Eligibility Workers are proficient in Public Assistance Programs, Social Services, and Medical Assistance. They’re also known for soft skills such as Integrity, Communication skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Eligibility Workers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Public Assistance Programs, 10%
Determined eligibility for federal public assistance programs
- Social Services, 8%
Determined eligibility for individuals wanting to obtain benefits through Department of Social Services using the Eligibility Management System.
- Medical Assistance, 8%
Conduct interviews of clients or their designated representatives to make program determinations for the county medical assistance program.
- Medi-Cal, 7%
Analyze financial and eligibility information to determine initial or continuing eligibility for CalWorks;Food Stamps; and Medi-Cal.
- Customer Service, 6%
Process time sensitive customer service tasks, research policy to effectively administer services, and actively document to ensure accountability.
- Computer System, 5%
Conduct office interviews and case processing by accessing an interactive computer system to gather necessary information regarding potential available income.
"public assistance programs," "social services," and "medical assistance" are among the most common skills that eligibility workers use at work. You can find even more eligibility worker responsibilities below, including:
Integrity. The most essential soft skill for an eligibility worker to carry out their responsibilities is integrity. This skill is important for the role because "information clerks, particularly human resources assistants, have access to confidential information." Additionally, an eligibility worker resume shows how their duties depend on integrity: "researched medicare and medicaid integrity status for the state of texas. "
Communication skills. Many eligibility worker duties rely on communication skills. "information clerks must be able to explain policies and procedures clearly to customers and the public.," so an eligibility worker will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways eligibility worker responsibilities rely on communication skills: "interview applicants in person, by telephone or through electronic communication for cash aid, food stamps and medi-cal. "
Interpersonal skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of eligibility workers is interpersonal skills. This skill is critical to many everyday eligibility worker duties, as "information clerks who work with the public and customers must understand and communicate information effectively to establish positive relationships." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "utilized exceptional communicative and interpersonal abilities to establish and maintain positive rapport with patients through crisis intervention and counseling. "
Organizational skills. For certain eligibility worker responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "organizational skills." The day-to-day duties of an eligibility worker rely on this skill, as "information clerks must be able to retrieve files and other important information quickly and efficiently." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what eligibility workers do: "participated in the determination of organizational policies regarding process and eligibility for financial assistance for medical costs. "
The three companies that hire the most eligibility workers are:
- Baptist Health Care5 eligibility workers jobs
- Health Advocates4 eligibility workers jobs
- The State of Oregon2 eligibility workers jobs
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Compare different eligibility workers
Eligibility worker vs. Support staff
School support staff provide specialized instructional and student support while utilizing school facilities. They often include diverse staff members whose main role is to ensure that students learn in a supportive and safe learning environment. It is also their duty to enhance school climate by promoting the involvement of parent and family in education as well as to encourage trusting, positive student relationships. They should inhibit positive behavior and send uplifting messages to students as they often connect with them throughout the day.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an eligibility worker are more likely to require skills like "public assistance programs," "social services," "medical assistance," and "medi-cal." On the other hand, a job as a support staff requires skills like "developmental disabilities," "mental health," "meal preparation," and "direct care." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Desk clerks supervisors tend to make the most money working in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $32,113. In contrast, eligibility workers make the biggest average salary, $39,561, in the professional industry.desk clerks supervisors tend to reach similar levels of education than eligibility workers. In fact, desk clerks supervisors are 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Eligibility worker vs. Medicaid specialist
A Medicaid Specialist is a social service worker who focuses on assisting individuals when it comes to Medicaid programs. They are responsible for helping individuals understand the health care system procedures and requirements, answering inquiries, or referring them to other services. There are also Medicaid specialists who mostly perform clerical support tasks such as gathering and verifying documents, conducting research and analyses, handling calls and correspondence, reaching out to medical facilities and insurance companies, and maintaining records.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, eligibility worker responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "public assistance programs," "social services," "medical assistance," and "medi-cal." Meanwhile, a medicaid specialist has duties that require skills in areas such as "patients," "home health," "medicaid eligibility," and "rehabilitation." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
In general, medicaid specialists achieve similar levels of education than eligibility workers. They're 3.0% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Eligibility worker vs. Contact officer
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from eligibility worker resumes include skills like "public assistance programs," "social services," "medical assistance," and "medi-cal," whereas a contact officer is more likely to list skills in "loan applications," "credit card," "loan payments," and "tax returns. "
When it comes to education, contact officers tend to earn higher degree levels compared to eligibility workers. In fact, they're 16.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 1.6% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Eligibility worker vs. Public housing interviewer
Types of eligibility worker
Updated January 8, 2025
