Disability Benefits Officer

12 Months Fixed Term Contract / Secondment Opportunity

Hackney is one of the most dynamic and progressive local authorities in the UK. We are a resilient, vibrant, and creative borough in the heart of London, with strong, diverse communities and a powerful set of shared values. Over the past twenty years, the Council has built up first-class services, outstanding public infrastructure, and a reputation for excellence, innovation, and ambition. We are leading the way on essential work such as our fight for equity in Hackney with a particular focus on becoming an actively anti-racist borough. But the work doesn’t stop there; we are proactive in our approach to bringing fairness to all aspects of life including gender, neurodiversity and across the poverty divide.

Hackney Here To Help is an easily accessible, resident-facing, multi-disciplinary service that brings together benefits advice with assessment for a range of discretionary grants, in a delivery model that has data-led, active community outreach at its heart. One of our core goals is increasing residents’ income by tackling benefits under-claiming in the borough. The Income Maximisation Team, within which this role sits, is focussed on increasing income for some of the borough’s most vulnerable residents, by ensuring that they claim and contest disability benefits. It is a highly skilled and successful team, generating over £1.5m in additional income over the past three years for residents.

In this role you will support disabled people (or households with a disabled person) to access a full range of welfare benefits, discretionary support, reductions and exemptions. You will lead on mandatory review and tribunal work, including deciding on applications to take through the review process, preparation of documentation, supporting the individual resident and representing them at tribunal hearings. You will also support the wider Money Hub team by working collaboratively on cases, developing colleagues’ skills and understanding of the support available for disabled people, people with long-term illness, and people with caring responsibilities and by giving feedback on likely eligibility on a case-by-case basis.

In order to be successful in this role you will need to have:

• Strong knowledge of welfare and disability benefits
• Experience of drafting grounds for appeal, written submissions and tribunal representation
• Experience of working with a close-knit team
• Comfortable working directly with residents and taking a holistic, empathetic approach in order to understand the resident’s full range of needs and respond as fully as possible
• Strong organisational and time management ability, in order to assess a high rate of incoming applications across several discretionary support schemes
• Able to be flexible, work independently and take a problem-solving approach when working with residents and on different types
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Comfortable working with case management software to record resident contact and outcomes (Here To Help uses Google-based AppSheet)

More information can be found in our attached supporting documents. As a Council, our most outstanding asset is our staff, who are highly dedicated to serving our residents and committed to our goals as an organisation. If you want to work in a place where you can represent our values so we achieve the best for our residents, please click on the apply button below. We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Therefore, we do not accept supporting statements or CVs. To proceed with your application, you will need to create an account and submit your application. As part of the application process, you will need to complete a number of competency-based questions. These questions allow you to demonstrate your suitability for the role and provide examples of your skills, knowledge and experience outlined in the job description.

This post is subject to an Enhanced DBS Check. Prior to applying for a vacancy for a secondment opportunity, please liaise with your line manager and inform them of your interest in applying for the role. This application process replaces a supporting statement.

Closing date for applications: 28 May 2026 (22:59)

Interview and assessment date: 17-18 June 2026

We are also working towards our vision, which is to be a place for everyone; where residents and staff can be proud; a place that celebrates diversity and where everyone can feel valued, included and involved. In order to achieve this, we look for people who are: Proud; Ambitious; Pioneering; Open; Proactive; Inclusive.

Hackney Council works to eradicate discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. We also recognise that people can be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will also work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class. We also welcome those interested in flexible working. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people, as this group is currently underrepresented in our workforce.

The Council has a dedicated employment support service (Hackney Works), which offers Hackney residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you are thinking about applying for a job, please contact the Hackney Works team to find out what support is available.