Benefit Assessment Officer

West Northamptonshire Council is a dynamic and progressive unitary local authority, created in April 2021. We’re on a journey shaping our teams and processes to enable us to continue making a real difference to people’s lives, delivering vital public services to the residents in West Northamptonshire.

We’re looking for enthusiastic and driven individuals to join our teams and support us on our journey – if you think this could be you, we want to hear from you.

What will you be doing?

The fundamental purpose of this role is the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction, ensuring that people are receiving the financial support they need to pay their Rent and Council Tax.

The Benefit Section is also responsible for the administration of Discretionary Funds allowing us to help people early on, to avoid getting into serious debt, to assist people when they feel they have nowhere else to turn and to protect their tenancy.

Day to day, you’ll be providing a high quality and customer focused service to residents which includes advising on Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction, this may be by phone or electronic channels.

By maintaining up to date knowledge around legislation, you’ll assess and make decisions on a range of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction applications and changes in the customers circumstances, which will be within strict timescales.

About you

You’ll be self-motivated, curious and empathetic. Your investigative mind and excellent attention to detail will enable you to deal with people from all walks of life and respond well to demanding situations, working in a collaborative and solutions focussed way, for the benefit of our residents.

You’ll need good time management skills and be able to work effectively within a fast-paced environment as assessments and decisions have to be completed within set timescales.

Accuracy and attention to detail are also essential as you’ll be responsible for compiling all the necessary information to accurately calculate entitlement and ensuring notifications of entitlement are issued correctly and are legally compliant.

Successful candidates will receive full training and the opportunity to grow with us!

Benefits

• Generous annual leave entitlement starting at 28 days annual leave per year, 29 days for senior managers (pro rata, depending on how many hours per week you work), plus bank holidays. An additional 5 days, linked to continuous service, and ability to purchase up to 6 weeks additional leave per year.
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• Local Government Pension Scheme plus immediate life cover (3 times your annual salary from day one) and ill-health protection.
• Employee discounts with local and national retailers, days out, finance, health and beauty, travel and eating out plus lots more.
• Car Lease scheme via Tusker.
• Payment of professional subscription / membership - If your job description requires that you are registered with or a member of a professional body, WNC will pay for your professional subscription or membership fees.
• Employee Assistance Programme - We have an employee support programme run by Health Assured, an independent, external organisation. Health Assured is available for you and your immediate family members, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and includes telephone counselling, legal advice, bereavement support and medical information.
• Commsave - Free membership to Commsave Credit Union who provide a variety of savings accounts, loans, a monthly lottery draw and more!
• Ongoing training and development opportunities.
• A variety of flexible working options to support your work/life balance, including full or part time, term time, 9-day fortnight, etc. (subject to business needs).
• Our West Ways of Working – We want our workforce to thrive, and we equip our employees with the right technology to support hybrid and collaborative working, on or off site, depending on the role.
• Making a difference - If you want to use your skills and experience with an organisation that is genuinely invested in making a difference, are committed to improving people's lives, and whose success has a direct impact on the wellbeing of your family, friends and people in your local area, then West Northamptonshire Council is the place for you.

About us

At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.

Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services.

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential. We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner.

If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email careers@westnorthants.gov.uk for support.

West Northants Council, where careers thrive.