Benefit Assessment Officer

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.

The role will also involve processing Temporary Accommodation Housing Benefit Claims and Supported and Exempt Accommodation claims – customers that have care and support provided in their tenancies 

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!

Our benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits to our employees, these include:

• 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
• Payment of professional subscription / membership - If your job description requires that you are registered with or are 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.
• 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 are 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. 

Hear more from our Chief Executive, Anna Earnshaw, about what it's like to work at West Northants Council https://youtu.be/lV0EfeUF4aU  

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

The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us.

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.