Asking the AI Benefits Consultant a question works like any messaging app. It's an AI assistant built into your benefits portal — ask it about your benefits in plain English and it answers in plain English, using your own benefits information and your employer's documents.
Where to find it
Look for the chat button on the right-hand side of any page within your benefits portal.
Can't see it? Refresh the page first. If it's still missing, your employer may not have switched it on — contact your HR team as you normally would.
The consultant greets you and suggests a few questions to get you started.
What can it help with?
A few examples of things you can ask:
- "Which benefits am I enrolled in?"
- "What does my dental plan cover?"
- "When can I next change my benefits?"
- "Who do I contact about a health insurance claim?"
Where do its answers come from?
Answers come from your employer's own benefits content — your benefit pages, policy documents, and portal content — plus your own enrolment details. It isn't answering from general internet knowledge, and it's instructed not to fill gaps with guesses.
Answers drawn from your benefits content show a ‘Sources:’ line at the bottom, so you can see exactly where the information came from.
If an answer has no ‘Sources:’ line, it wasn't taken from your employer's documents — treat it as general guidance and check with your HR team before acting on it.
It searches everything you're eligible for — not just what you're on
The consultant can see the benefit pages and documents you're eligible for, which can include plans you haven't chosen. It does know which benefits you're enrolled in.
So ask "What does my dental plan cover?" rather than naming a level like Gold or Silver — that way it answers about the one you're actually on. If your benefit comes in cover levels and the answer affects a decision, confirm it with your HR team before you act.
If your documents don't cover something, the consultant says so and points you to the right person instead — usually your HR team or the benefit provider (the company that runs the benefit, normally an insurer). No guessing.
What it doesn't do
The consultant shares information; it doesn't give advice. It won't recommend a benefit, tell you what to choose, or give financial, tax, legal, or medical advice. For those it points you to the right place — MoneyHelper, the government-backed free guidance service, for money questions; ACAS, the free government service for questions about your rights at work; or the NHS for health concerns.
It also can't make changes for you — enrolling in a benefit or updating your details still happens in the portal itself, and the consultant will tell you where to go.
Please note: the consultant is an AI, and it will always tell you so if you ask. Like any AI it can occasionally get something wrong — check anything that matters against the ‘Sources:’ line or with your HR team. It currently works in English only. Conversations may be reviewed by Zest's quality team to keep answers accurate — Zest is the technology company that makes your benefits site. See [AI Benefits Consultant: your data and privacy].
Stuck? Ask the assistant "how do I contact HR?" — it will link you to the correct person to answer your questions when the Benefits Consultant reaches its knowledge limits.