Policy Research Assistant

Salary: £25,615 plus £3,520 London allowance if applicable

Closing date: 21/08/2025

Location: Blended between office and home (England and Wales)

Employment type: Permanent

Hours Per Week 36.25 hours per week / Open to flexible working

Citizens Advice works relentlessly to tackle the major issues affecting people across England and Wales. Our local Citizens Advice see first hand the problems people face day in and day out. The data we gather from these interactions means we’re uniquely placed to spot trends early, understand the root causes of issues, and develop tangible solutions to address them

.This role is in our Families, Welfare and Work team. In recent years, we’ve successfully made the case for increases in housing benefit and the extension of crisis support. Put simply, we know that too many people don’t have enough money to live on. We see this every day in the people coming to us for support, struggling to pay essential bills, and all too often in debt. It’s our job to change that

.
Our team works on ways we can improve the welfare state, from changing how benefits are administered to challenging poor policy design that leaves people out of pocket. Our most recent Policy Research Assistant has been working on making the case against cutting disability benefits, including analysing data, writing blogs and reports, and engaging directly with decision makers. We’re now looking for a new team member to take on the next challenge and help ensure better support for those on some of the lowest incomes in the countr

y.
As a member of our policy research function, you’ll be working as part of a dynamic and supportive team - contributing to designing and executing inventive and hard-hitting research and creating influential outputs including blogs, reports, presentations and social media. You’ll also have opportunities to directly influence those with the power to make change happ

en.
Your development is our priority - we do everything we can to help you to develop the skills you need to take the next steps in your career. For example, we provide an extensive range of internal training courses covering everything you need to succeed in this role and progress to a more senior role, including research, persuasive writing and influencing and negotiating ski

lls.Creating an environment and culture in which everybody can do their best work is central to our success. As a result, we offer genuine flexibility over when and where you work. Many of our colleagues work non-standard hours and are based in different locations across England and Wa

les.
Please provide details in your cover letter to evidence the following essential criteria. Please make sure your cover letter provides evidence for the essential criteria succin

• ctly.
  Ability to deliver tasks and projects to specified deadlines and quality standards, with strong attention to detail and acc
• uracy.Excellent written and verbal communication s
• kills.Working knowledge of or interest in different research techn
• iques.Working knowledge of current policy de

bates.Citizens Advice offers confidential advice online, over the phone, and in person, for free. Through our national network of charities, we give people the knowledge and the confidence they need to find their way forward – whoever they are, and whatever their pr

oblem.
Do you want to work for an organisation that makes a difference, every single day, to people from all walks of life? The people that turn to Citizens Advice need help overcoming an obstacle in their lives – from debt to evictions to trouble at work – and you can be key to them getting the support they need in the quickest, easiest, and most effecti

ve way.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is of strategic importance within the organisation and recognised as integral to all we do as a