eligibility workers

Employees in public welfare offices who determine whether an applicant meets the criteria for public assistance. This function once was served by social workers until state and federal laws separated the provision of social services from income maintenance. Thus, eligibility workers have freed social workers to do more technical and professional work with clients on public assistance. In many jurisdictions, however, eligibility workers are given little training in interviewing or interpersonal skills and are frustrated with the clerical emphasis of their work.