Benefits Assessor - Stoke on trent

Benefits Assessor – Revenue and Benefits – Stoke on trent

£21.99 per hour

Contract – Full Time:

Duties/Responsibilities:

• To work as a member of a team providing a high standard of service to the public. Use expert knowledge to ensure that customer demands are met.
• To accurately and efficiently assess entitlement to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support, and all related activities associated with the assessment of a claim, ensuring that the right benefit is paid at the right time to the right person.
• Completing, verifying and assessing claims and changes of circumstance by customer visits, face to face interviews, telephone or post.
• To assist in the recovery of overpayments of Housing Benefit and Tax Support, and / or debt owed to the client.
• A flexible and adaptable approach to work is required as well as an ability to deal with several issues simultaneously.
• An understanding of the claimant’s needs should also be shown, in order to tailor the service to the individual customer needs.
• To ensure that thorough, accurate and up to date customer details are maintained and all data is kept secure and confidential in relation to both Tax and Benefits.
• To liaise with internal and external stakeholders, to build positive and mutually beneficial working relationships.
• Work with other members of the team to achieve excellent performance in accordance with legislation and corporate objectives.
• Maintain an expert, up to date knowledge of both Housing Benefit and Tax legislation and internal procedures and processes, and keep fully appraised of relevant changes.
• To keep up to date with changes in relation to Welfare Reform and Universal Credit in relation to the administration of Housing Benefit and Tax Support.
• To provide advice and support to customers in relation to Universal Credit by explaining the options available and also signpost to other services or client departments as appropriate.
• To interpret the relevant legislation, regulation, policies, procedures and any other guidance, assess the available evidence and apply these considerations when devising the appropriate course of action to take.
• Assess and decide claims so accurate payments of benefit are made within agreed timescales. Perform manual calculations of benefit entitlement as required.
• Investigate payment queries and errors, liaising with the creditor payments team to resolve payment failures/issues.
• Conduct interviews with claimants in order to process benefit, at any of the Client’s amenities designated for such purposes or through a home visit in order to process benefit.

To find out more information please contact Lily at Lilye@4recruitmentservices.com

Recruitment is done in line with safe recruitment practices. We are an equal opportunity agency.