Income Officer - Lambeth

Income Officer – Lambeth (Temp Vacancy)

Umbrella Pay Rate: £18.00ph

Full-Time (37 hours)

Job Purpose:

The post holder will be responsible for providing an income management service to residents in accordance with Housing Services policies, procedures, and processes. They will be responsible for maximising income collection from current tenants, former tenants, unauthorised occupants, and sundry debtors.

They will be required to manage a large portfolio of properties/accounts as specified by the Income Team Manager and manage the cases from prevention stage through to enforcement stage.

The post holder will be expected to work to financial targets agreed with their manager. They will be required to have a good working knowledge of the Council’s IT and accounting systems and of the principles of rent account management. In addition, the post holder should ensure that the Council’s core values, expectations and service standards are promoted and upheld.

Accountabilities:  

• Identify tenants falling into arrears and monitor existing cases to ensure that prompt action is taken and to ensure that the action taken is at all times within required timescales and in-line with the Council’s rent arrears policy and procedure
• Manage arrears cases from the point of making the initial contact with the tenants, from prevention through to the enforcement stage, and eviction if necessary. This also includes arranging and presenting introductory review hearings as well as Tenancy Sustainment Panels
• Ensure tenants are aware of their responsibilities with regard to payment of rent and provide assistance and advice in regard to benefit entitlement and maximising any available means of income, with a view to sustaining tenancies and ensuring that eviction remains the last resort
• Carry out home visits and joint visits with stakeholders and facilitate surgeries within the Area Offices and other appropriate locations as required by residents and the service
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders where appropriate to ensure the effective management of arrears cases. This may include representing the Rents Team at case conferences with other support agencies
• Work with the Tenancy Sustainment and Support Team supporting households impacted by welfare reform such as the benefit cap, bedroom tax and Universal Credit with financial resilience support to reduce impact of rising debt
• Identify vulnerable cases and support them in applying for Discretionary Housing payments. Liaise with social services and work together with the social worker supporting the residents
• Work in conjunction with Centre70, Income Max, Single Homeless Person (SHP), and other external support agencies (who are commissioned to support welfare affected households in the Council) to support households with negotiating debts and supporting households with new benefit applications to Universal Credit
• Working collaboratively with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in ensuring that Universal Credit claims are processed, assessed and cases escalated, and Alternative Payment Arrangements (APA) applied for where needed. Responsible for the verification of Universal Credit claims (rent element) via the DWP Landlord Portal
• Engage with neighbourhood/Income maximisation/fraud team on decant, succession, fraud cases and disrepair
• Prepare and review court cases in advance of hearings; attend Court to give evidence with or without legal representation; represent the Council in Court in DIY possession proceedings with regard to both possession and small claim proceedings; attend Stay hearings, Leave to Issue Warrant Hearings, Re-Entry hearings and other associated rent arrears court applications as appropriate; when necessary assist the County Court bailiffs to undertake evictions for rent arrears
• To be responsible for the day-to-day preparation, investigation, processing, collection, and accounting of all direct deductions taken from benefit via DWP for current tenants in arrears, making applications for direct payments where necessary

We offer:

• 24 hour one on one specialist consultant based within your geographical area
• 4Recruitment Services Employee Benefits Programme
• Our own dedicated payroll support ensuring you get the full benefits of your payment

Recruitment is done in line with safe recruitment practices. 4Recruitment Services is an equal opportunities employer.

To discuss this vacancy or other vacancies in your area please contact  parbejm@4recruitmentservices.com