We are pleased to welcome Ellie Jones to the team.
Hi everyone! I’m Ellie, the new member of the benefits team. I’m originally from Newcastle but moved to Sheffield in 2017 and now feel very at home here.
I spent a year as a volunteer generalist advice worker with Citizens Advice in their Firth Park office where I really enjoyed learning a new skill and talking to so many people from different backgrounds.
Working with Citizens Advice and seeing how many problems there are within the welfare system in the UK, made me want to understand how we can change the system for the better. I decided to do a master’s in social research, where I learned how we can use people’s individual experiences of claiming welfare benefits to demonstrate what the problems are and to campaign for the change we deserve!
Following a year working as a researcher with Sheffield Futures, a charity supporting children and young people in the city, I’m really excited to be back doing advice work, even if it is a strange time to start a new job! I’m hoping to learn from Sarah and make use of all the skills and experience herself and Chris have developed. I’m also looking forward to getting to know some of our members, as I think there’s a real strength in membership organisations like SMEFG, where everyone is invested in supporting each other.
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We now have Ellie and Sarah each working 18 hours per week. We're here and able to pick up your emails sent to benefits@sheffieldmegroup.co.uk. Things are changing with how assessments and tribunals are being delivered, so if you need support or have any queries please drop us a line and either 'Smith' or 'Jones' will be in touch. Meanwhile our group continues to have brilliant success in challenging DWP decisions.
Please ask if we can help, we're here for you.