Senior Policy Adviser – National Insurance Contributions, Employment Benefits and Expenses

If you’re interested in making a difference to people’s lives, the Treasury can offer you an exciting opportunity to influence decision making that affects the whole of the UK. Working at the heart of government, we collaborate across government to promote responsible public spending and drive strong and sustainable economic growth.

About the Team

The Personal Tax team covers a very broad range of exciting policies that are important across the population. The size and influence of these policies means that they are always of interest to ministers, and the post holder will have the chance to work closely with seniors, Special Advisers, and ministers.

We play an active role in making sure that PTWP has an inclusive, positive working environment. We are committed to ensuring a good work-life balance and currently have people with a variety of working patterns, including part-time roles.

The Personal Tax team is responsible for income tax, National Insurance contributions (NICs), the apprenticeship levy, inheritance tax and other aspects of the personal tax system, including longer-term strategy and linking up with other areas of tax and welfare. Total personal tax receipts exceed £450bn, so our policies are fundamental in fiscal and economic importance to the Treasury and of significant interest to the Chancellor and other ministers. For example, over the past few years the team’s work has included changes to NICs rates and thresholds, changes to the taxation of non-UK domiciled individuals, changes to inheritance tax and more.

About the Job

In this role, you will:

1. Lead on policy development and delivery on NICs, BIKs and Expenses;
2. Provide clear and credible advice to ministers and senior officials a throughout the year and at fiscal events, specifically on these policy areas;
3. Ensure that written advice, briefing and correspondence by your branch is completed to a high standard;
4. Build and maintain quality relationships with key partners across Government – primarily HMRC – as well as with other teams in HMT;
5. Provide excellent line-management, setting clear roles and objectives for your branch, as well focusing as well-being and development.
6. Support the wider leadership of the branch, team and corporate priorities across the group, helping to make PT and PTWP a great place to work.

The work of the branch is varied, dynamic and high-profile! Over the past couple of years we have been involved in a range of high profile measures including changes to employee and employer NICs; leading three NICs bills through Parliament to deliver these changes; free trade negotiations with India; and working with HMRC policy partners on mandating the payrolling of BIKs, among others.

NICs are a major source of Government revenue, accounting for nearly £180bn a year of receipts. National Insurance also underpins the contributory benefit system and is linked to funding the NHS and the Apprenticeship Levy. As such, this post this post involves close working across tax, spending and welfare policy and is key to future thinking on contributory benefits. Most changes to NICs require their own bill and there is an annual legislative process to set NICs rates and thresholds (‘re-rating’); the role will therefore include working extensively with HMRC policy partners on parliamentary and legislative processes.

Employment Benefits and Expenses are also a key part of the tax system. This part of the portfolio covers the taxation of employment perks such as employer-provided medical insurance and living accommodation. Alongside this, the team are also responsible for the tax rules on employee expenses, which covers tax relief for employees for costs they have incurred while carrying out their work. Additionally, this part of the portfolio also covers employment income exemptions, which are specific tax rules in place that helps meet other government priorities, including Cycle to Work and work-place occupational health. This is a wide-ranging portfolio which impacts millions of employees and is a sustained area of interest for ministers.

All tax policy is delivered in partnership with HMRC; this post will need to work very closely with them as well as DWP, the Government Actuary’s Department and spending teams across HMT.

About You

The role has included line management of two Senior Executive Officers and a policy apprentice (Range C). the postholder will also be responsible for supporting the E2 in leading the wider NICs, BIKs, Expenses and Intermediaries (NBI) branch and will have a leadership role in maintaining the positive and inclusive culture of the Personal Tax team and the wider group.

Some of the Benefits our people love!

• 25 days annual leave (rising to 30 after 5 years), plus 8 public holidays and the King’s birthday (unless you have a legacy arrangement as an existing Civil Servant). Additionally, we operate flexitime systems, allowing employees to take up to an additional 2 days off each month
• Flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours)
• Generous parental and adoption leave packages
• Access to a generous Defined Benefit pension scheme with employer contributions of 28.97%
• Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme and season ticket advances
• A range of active staff networks, based around interests (e.g. analysts, music society, sports and social club) and diversity

For more information about the role and how to apply, please follow the apply link.