Housing & Benefits Officers, Specialist Housing Officers (for L/As)

Care First Recruitment Ltd are looking for experienced staff: Housing Officers, Benefits Officers, Specialist Housing Officers, and Senior Housing Benefit Officers. We require various candidates for each role, as we have a number of vacancies across various London Boroughs. Please note: we can ONLY consider candidates with previous experience working for Councils/Local Authorities.

Job description (please note JD is generic as it encompasses all the roles listed above):

• Providing advice, assistance, and support to individuals and families seeking housing solutions, and actively working to reduce homelessness in the community.
• This role requires in-depth knowledge of housing legislation, welfare benefits, and adult and children's social care.
• This is a specialist role that works closely with homelessness, and officers work in a wide range of situations, but mainly in preventing homelessness with single people and families at risk.
• To contribute to the provision of a high performing customer centred financial assessment service as one of a team delivering financial assistance towards the rent, Council Tax, and social care cost of a large number of households, including some of the most vulnerable residents in the Borough against a background of ever-changing regulations and guidance.

Requirements:

• Previous experience working in a similar role, preferably within housing options, homelessness prevention, or social housing.
• Knowledge of housing legislation, policies, and procedures, including the Homelessness Reduction Act, the Children Act, the Care Act, and the Welfare Reform Act.
• Knowledge of relevant services and benefits to best support applicants experiencing housing problems and at risk of homelessness.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to communicate complex information in a clear and accessible manner.
• Good organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise tasks, manage workload efficiently, and meet deadlines.
• Educated in a relevant area of study at NVQ Level 4 or equivalent.
• Experience providing an effective service to members of the public.
• Experience working alongside vulnerable customers.

Role expectations:

• Build relationships with those at risk within the community, support them and offer realistic housing options advice to prevent homelessness.
• Develop, update, review, and implement Personalised Housing Plans for customers.
• Assess Housing Needs: Conduct thorough assessments of individuals and families to determine their housing needs and eligibility for different housing options.
• Responsibility for undertaking any revision to entitlement/contribution for Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support including more complex calculations in respect of self-employed, students, etc.
• Make decisions on and implement Housing Benefit/Council Tax Support backdating requests.
• Liaise with external partners, including local authorities, housing associations, support agencies, to facilitate housing solutions and ensure effective service delivery.
• Work with Finance and Housing and External Partners including the Department for Work and Pensions and where appropriate the Business Transformation Partner to ensure delivery and performance targets are met.
• Develop working relationships with colleagues, as well as key partners including statutory services, local landlords, and other housing organisations.
• Occasional work outside of regular working hours, in response to emergency situations.
• Maintain Records: Accurately record all interactions, assessments, and decisions in line with relevant policies and procedures, ensuring confidentiality and data protection guidelines are strictly followed.
• Attend Meetings: Participate in team meetings, case conferences, and relevant training sessions to stay updated on changes in housing legislation, policies, and procedures.

About you:

• The successful Benefits and Housing Needs Officer will have extensive current knowledge and understanding of relevant benefits legislation.
• Become quickly familiar with Local Authority policies, principles, and procedures.
• Substantial practical experience of Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit/Support assessment work in a back-office environment.
• Experience of using a PC to update records and extract information.
• Willingness and ability to use and develop further new skills, to download data and to manipulate it into usable formats.
• At least 2-3 years' experience in a similar role.

Please note that some Local Authorities and the nature of each individual post may require the candidate to hold an Enhanced DBS, and to be uploaded in the Update Service system. If you do not already possess an Enhanced DBS then you can still apply for this position as one may not be necessary for some clients, but having one may allow you to access more opportunities. You can obtain one through our agency at the time of registration or at a later period.

The Benefits and Housing Needs Officer role is typically office based, with an average of 35-hour working week. Depending on the client or Local Authority hybrid work may be available, it all depends on the needs of the department, etc. and, if agreed, a hybrid schedule usually applies after all inductions have been completed at the office for a month-long period. To work from home the candidate is expected to have unlimited broadband, and access to a laptop or computer (depending on the L/A or client they may provide laptops where required).

This advert covers main role requirements, and depending on the client and seniority of the role there may be additional tasks.

Job Type: Temp Contract length: 3 months (may be extended in most cases)

Salary: £17.00-£30.00 per hour (depending on the role, seniority and location/client)

Expected hours: 35 per week

Schedule: Monday to Friday

Ability to Commute: London (required)

Work Location: In person (hybrid option depends on the L/A)

Essentials:

• Very good levels of Literacy.
• Able to understand and follow instructions & policies.
• Able to use initiative.
• Excellent organisational skills.
• Good written/verbal communication skills.
• Able to work as part of a team.
• A non-discriminatory approach.
• You are required to have a minimum of 2 years' experience working for a Local Authority.

If you may not have worked with a Local Authority before, but you have experience working with Housing Association or a main Charity, please call our office landline for a phone consultation before applying. Thank you.

For most roles you will need either a Basic or an Enhanced DBS (checks by the Disclosure and Barring Service).

Experience:

• Property Management: 2 years (required)
• Customer service: 2 years (required)

Licence/Certification:

• Enhanced DBS certificate (required)