Benefits Overpayment Officer

Benefits Overpayment Officer

Salary: £28,163 - £30,559

Working hours: Full time, 37 hours per week

Location: Hybrid – with expectations to work from one of our office bases in Harrogate, Selby, Richmond, Scarborough, Malton, Northallerton, Skipton.

About Our Service

The Welfare and Benefits Service plays a vital role in supporting residents across North Yorkshire by managing applications for Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, Discretionary Housing Payments, and Exceptional Hardship Awards. Our dedicated team assesses claims and provides expert advice to both our customers and our colleagues across various council services.

Join Our Team!

We’re thrilled to announce exciting opportunities for Benefit Overpayment Officers to join our friendly, supportive, and highly customer-focused Benefits Compliance Team. If you're passionate about making a positive impact, we’d love to meet you!

Your Role

As a Benefit Overpayment Officer, you will:

• Administer and Monitor Overpayments: Handle the entire recovery process for Housing Benefit overpayments, from invoicing to repayment, utilising a range of recovery measures.
• Deliver Excellent Customer Service: Investigate and address daily customer inquiries via phone, in-person, and written communication, ensuring a high standard of support.
• Collaborate Across Services: Work in partnership with various services and professional bodies to aid recovery efforts and guide customers toward financial support and advice.
• Support Customers in Financial Hardship: While the role is recovery-focused, you will also be committed to assisting customers facing financial difficulties.

What You Bring

We are looking for individuals with a strong customer-centric approach, ready to respond positively and empathetically to resolve issues. Ideally, you will:

• Have recent experience in assessing Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction claims, with a practical understanding of relevant regulations and legislation.
• Possess experience in debt recovery and various collection methods.
• Have a background in customer support, engaging with clients on a one-to-one basis.
• Be proficient in IT, including customer databases, internet applications, and Microsoft Office.
• Exhibit excellent communication skills, capable of explaining complex issues and handling conflicts effectively.
• Be a confident and decisive decision-maker.
• Hold a GCSE or equivalent in English and Maths.

Additional Information

You may need to travel to other offices in North Yorkshire for training and team meetings. This role involves handling highly sensitive information, so a basic disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service will be required.

Contact and apply

Applying is easy, simply click the 'apply now' button below, remove your person details from your CV and upload.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Key Dates:

Closing Date: 19/11/2024

Interviews: Week Commencing 25th November 2024.

What we can offer

Competitive Salary: We provide a salary that reflects your skills and experience, with regular reviews to ensure you're rewarded for your contributions.

Generous Leave Benefits: Enjoy a generous annual leave package starting at 28 days, which increases to 34 days (pro-rata) with continued service, allowing you to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Professional Development: Access to training programs and workshops to support your professional growth and enhance your skills.

Comprehensive Pension Scheme: Benefit from a robust pension scheme with a substantial employer contribution of 22.6%, securing your financial future.

Health and Wellbeing Programs: Participate in wellness initiatives designed to support your physical and mental health.

Discounted Benefits: Take advantage of our 'Everybody Benefits' program, which offers shopping vouchers, discounts, and other perks to enhance your lifestyle.

Join us and become part of a team that values your contributions and invests in your growth!

NYC are committed to directly recruiting staff and will not accept applications nor services from agency suppliers in respect of our vacancies.

We are committed to meeting the needs of our diverse community and aim to have a workforce reflecting this diversity. We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

North Yorkshire Council (NYC) advertise vacancies on behalf of schools and external organisations (third parties) in North Yorkshire. NYC are not responsible for the recruitment/employment practices of third parties and accept no liability in relation to the vacancy and any subsequent recruitment/employment processes. Enquiries regarding the vacancy or practices should be made directly with the third party.

North Yorkshire Councils’ purpose is to deliver services and facilities to the diverse residents and visitors of North Yorkshire. To ensure we deliver inclusive services we strive to have a diverse workforce where everybody can be themselves by respecting differences and embedding equality of opportunity. We celebrate diversity and recognise each other’s contributions; we therefore welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds.

North Yorkshire Council are committed to the health and safety of our employees and of others including the general public. It has a responsibility to ensure employees who hold a position that is deemed to be safety critical as it requires the performance of duties which are directly related to the safe operation or security of a facility, piece of equipment or vehicle, handling of chemicals or work at height or in confined spaces and which, if not performed properly, could result in a serious safety risk or environmental hazard to employees, a facility or the general public , do not attend work whilst under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Individuals offered employment with North Yorkshire Council will be subject to the Workplace Substance Misuse policy. For safety critical roles as detailed above, random alcohol and drug testing may take place during the course of employment.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: £28,163.00-£30,559.00 per year

Benefits:

• Additional leave
• Canteen
• Company pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee discount
• Flexitime
• Free parking
• Health & wellbeing programme
• On-site parking
• Sick pay
• Store discount
• Work from home

Work Location: In person