Dispute Resolution Services - Disputes Case Manager/Decision Maker - North West and South West (Ref: 725)

If a DWP customer disagrees with a decision about benefits, tax credits or child maintenance they can ask for the decision to be looked at again – this is called mandatory reconsideration . Disputes Resolution Service (DRS) provides the service that allows our customers to challenge a benefit decision (mandatory reconsideration) or submit an appeal against a benefit decision.

In DRS we work with our customers to understand their individual circumstances, collate and interpret evidence and make decisions that have real life impact. Some of our customers are extremely vulnerable, where a decision on a benefit entitlement can enable a person and their family to participate fully in society.

Responsibilities

A DRS case manager or decision maker uses digital and telephone systems to engage with customers that want to challenge their benefit decision.

The main activities associated with this role are:

• Examining the facts on receipt of evidence and considering the relevant legislation to make a decision on matters related to the case. Providing verbal and written explanations of decisions

• Conducting Mandatory Reconsiderations (this involves reviewing decisions made in relation to a customer s benefit)

• Preparing appeals for the Tribunal Service

• Providing accurate statistics and collecting information to support planning

• Making complex benefit decisions

• Obtaining further information, including by speaking to the customer, to ensure that you fully understand the customer s circumstances and are able to make the appropriate decision

• Working independently and at pace to manage your own workload, We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing

• Managing a Quality Service

• Making Effective Decisions, Please complete the application form and write up to 500 words providing examples of how things you have done in the past and your skills and experience help you demonstrate the Civil Service Behaviour Communicating and Influencing (Level 2).

A NOTE ON ANONYMISATION

DWP operates an anonymised recruitment process, you should remove any personal details that could be used to identify you. This relates to name and contact details which might usually appear on your Personal Statement. Failure to do so will result in your application being withdrawn.

The evidence you provide must relate to your own experiences. If evidence of plagiarism, or sharing of questions, information or answers throughout any part of the selection process is found, your application will be withdrawn. Examples of plagiarism can include:

• Presenting the work, ideas and experience of others as your own

• Copying content from an online/published source

• Using forms of Artificial Intelligence to produce application content which you present as your own.

More information on Success Profiles and Civil Service Behaviours can be accessed by clicking the links.

Stage 2 – Selection

After submitting your application, you will be sent an invitation with a link to complete an online Situational Judgement Test. This is designed to test your skills for the EO role. You must complete and submit the test by the deadline stated in your invitation. If you do not complete and submit the test before the deadline, your application will not progress.

If you pass the Situational Judgement Test your written application form evidence will be assessed. If you meet the required standard and your application is successful, you will receive an invitation to a pre-recorded interview.

Depending on application numbers we may progress all candidates who have been successful at the online test through to interview without assessing the written application evidence

You will be assessed against three Civil Service Behaviours (Level 2)

• Communicating and Influencing

• Managing a Quality Service

• Making Effective Decisions

The evidence you provide must relate to your own thoughts and experiences.

Feedback will only be provided following an interview.

More information about the job role and additional guidance on the selection process is available here.

Stage 3 – Offer

Offers will be made in merit order and business continuity.

Candidates should note that if successful in this campaign, you will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before applying for any other lateral moves within DWP.

Reserve List

You may be placed on a reserve list if your application is successful, but we cannot immediately offer you a post, please note:

• If you accept an offer of a post, you will be expected to withdraw from any reserve lists of campaigns you have applied for, with DWP, at this grade.

• If you are offered the role you applied for, in a location you have expressed a preference for, and you decline the offer or are unable to take up post within a reasonable timeframe you will be withdrawn from the campaign and removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances*.

• If DWP makes an offer of an alternative role or location to that which you originally applied for, and you decline that offer, you will be able to remain on the reserve list.

Note – Exceptional circumstances could be when a candidate has requested a contractual Part Time Working Pattern, and this pattern cannot be accommodated in the initial role offered or in cases of serious ill health

Further Information

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy

The Great Place to Work for Veterans scheme makes it easier for veterans to join the Civil Service. For further information please go to the Civil Service Making the Civil Service a Great Place to Work for Veterans – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) If you wish to be considered for inclusion in this scheme please tick this box when applying.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. For further information please go to the Civil Service Prison Leaver recruitment page on GOV.UK.

Hours of work

DWP contracts are based on 42 hour week however you will work 37 hours (under certain circumstances 36 hours for existing DWP staff based in London).

All customers must receive a consistently good service no matter how or when they decide to contact DWP as such: You may be required to work at any time between the hours of 7.45 am and 8:00 pm on any day between Monday to Friday, and 8.45 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday.

A working pattern that meets business needs will be discussed and agreed once you have started. You will be given advance notice of your personal schedule.

DWP is a family-friendly employer and part-time and flexible working patterns within these hours may be available but must meet business needs which must include Monday and Friday as working days.

Working pattern

Part time and job sharing working patterns within working hours may be available but must meet business needs. We will do our best to let people with existing part time contracts retain their contracted hours provided they are in line with current business needs. Please note that successful part time and job share candidates may be required to work full time for specific periods to complete and consolidate training

Existing DWP Employees

Before applying for this vacancy, current DWP employees should check on the DWP intranet whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. If you are successful you must be able to be released from your current post within 4 weeks.

Those on protected TUPE/ COSoP terms and conditions applying on promotion or voluntary permanent level move will adopt DWP s Terms and Conditions and this may have a different impact on pay and allowances. Please review this prior to acceptance of a role.

Applying for a lateral transfer or promotion from outside DWP

Civil Servants that transfer into DWP from another government department or organisation, following successful application, will assume DWP’s terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, including those concerning weekly working hours, working days and times, and mobility. Exceptions may be allowed by DWP for pay, sick pay and annual leave to take account of expressed terms and conditions before the transfer. Previous service will count towards service-related entitlements. A transferee accepting a post will be taken to mean acceptance of revised terms & conditions.

Please contact the vacancy holder if you have questions regarding DWP terms & conditions.

Civil servants applying on promotion will usually be appointed to the salary minimum or within 10% of existing salary.

Location

Successful candidates will be appointed to a particular DWP office but may be required to travel to other DWP premises or locations in the community that are within a reasonable commute from the home office. We will discuss this further with you, if you are successful and at the point of agreeing your start date.

Job offers will be made in merit order. If you are successful and your selected location(s) have been filled at the time of offer you will be placed on a reserve list. DWP may then contact you and offer you an alternative role or location included within this advert or the district that is within a reasonable travelling distance of your home.

This vacancy is only for the locations shown above. If you are not within reasonable daily travel distance of these locations, you would need to consider applying for other vacancies within your travel area.

Please note: We are not able to consider requests to move your application to other vacancies advertised elsewhere in the UK.

Training

Please note that successful part time candidates will be required to work full time for a number of weeks to complete and consolidate training.

Apprenticeships

DWP takes development seriously. Our aim is for our colleagues in these roles to be appropriately skilled and qualified as determined by the business. To support this aim you may be required to undertake a work based qualification, which may be in the form of an apprenticeship, which will support you in further developing your professional knowledge and skills for this role and your future career development. The qualification can be undertaken in work time, you agree to take this job on the basis that you may be required to undertake a work based qualification; a candidate s failure to participate fully in the professional programme, once appointed, may be a breach of their employment contract.

Complaints

If you feel that your application has not been treated in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, please contact SSCL DWP-customer_Hub@gov.sscl.com mailto:in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission here to visit Civil Service Commission.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals

• nationals of the Republic of Ireland

• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK

• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)

• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)

• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020

• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

This campaign has roles available in several locations. Whilst you are able to select up to 3 location preferences, this is not mandatory, and you should not choose any locations you are not prepared to travel or re-locate to at your own expense. Candidates who are made an offer for any of locations they have expressed a preference for and decline or are unable to take up post within a reasonable timeframe will be withdrawn from the campaign.

The Customer Experience Directorate is at the heart of DWP operations helping to change people s lives. Our Decision Makers and Case Managers deliver a fast paced service, providing some of the most vulnerable people in society with decisions on their benefit entitlement and enabling them and their families to participate fully in society. We are looking for people who are customer focused, with the right skills, commitment and capability to deliver an exceptional public service. If you have a genuine dedication to a public service department that makes a real difference to the lives of others, you will find great satisfaction in working with us.

DWP helps people move into employment, supports pensioners and protects the most vulnerable in our society. We are therefore looking for people who can provide excellent customer service, can demonstrate good communication skills and a positive attitude to change and are able to work under pressure. You must have a clear commitment to, and where possible show examples of, delivering an effective service to customers., To be successful you will need to demonstrate effective communication skills across a wide range of diverse customers, along with the ability to understand and translate complex information into clear, succinct explanations for the customer. You will also need to learn to use a range of computer systems and be required to handle telephone queries, some of which may be sensitive.

You will need to have:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills

• Ability to collate and analyse information ask the right questions and solve problems

• A good listener who is able to express empathy at the right time

• Demonstrate sound judgement and objective thinking

• A self-starter that can work independently and stay organised

• A team player that can collaborate with colleagues to solve problems or develop new thinking

• A firm commitment to being an inclusive colleague

For roles based in Wales, the ability to speak Welsh is desirable.

Alongside your salary, the Department for Work and Pensions contributes 28.97% towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. This means for your salary of £30,975 DWP contributes £8973.46. This will increase if your location attracts London weighting. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We also have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:

• Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.

• Generous annual leave at least 23 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.

• Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.

• Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).

• Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year s continuous service.

• Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.

• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.

• Email : DWP-Customer_Hub@gov.sscl.com

• Telephone : 0345 241 5365

Recruitment team

• Email : DWP-Customer_Hub@gov.sscl.com, http://www.dwpjobs-eorecruitment-microsite.co.uk