Job info |
Job info details |
Job title |
Housing Benefit Subsidy Officer |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Customer Services & Benefits |
Service |
Customer Services & Benefits |
Business unit |
Benefits |
Responsible to (day to day issues) |
Benefits Operations Manager |
Accountable to (line manager) |
Benefits Operations Manager |
Salary grade |
H |
JE ref |
FIN65 |
1. Key purpose of job
- The role will support the Benefits Operations Manager, to ensure controls and service improvements are developed and implemented, improving residents’ experience and safeguarding benefits subsidy, Council Tax Reduction expenditure and other discretionary funds administered by the Service.
- The post holder will provide the relevant information to enable the Benefits Operations Manager to evaluate financial performance, accuracy of processing and maximisation of income to the council.
- Responsible for the completion of the Housing Benefit subsidy return, the annual audit and providing the relevant information to any queries raised during the audit.
- To take responsibility for the timely and accurate completion of Benefits reporting including weekly performance reporting and all returns and related audit queries in relation to housing benefit subsidy (£36m).
- To provide advice to management on the impact of legislative changes relating to benefits and report on the practical effect of changes to council policies relating to the Revenue and Benefits system.
2. Anticipated outcomes of post
- Monitoring and control of benefit subsidies and the Council Tax Support Scheme.
- Support of the interpretation and implementation of system changes relating to the housing benefit guidance that will impact of over 6,000 benefit claimants resulting in the need for a high level of accuracy.
- The timely and accurate completion of the £36m housing benefit subsidy returns, based on accurate records that comply with the relevant guidance. This will enable a positive external audit certification of the subsidy claim.
- Integrity of the council’s subsidy claim, maximising income to the council, working with all partners such as internal and external audit.
3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post
- To maintain an awareness of relevant legislation (including welfare reform) and ensure that the system is adapted or changed to deal with the new requirements.
- Interpretation of housing benefit and collection fund service-specific technical guidelines, legislation, national or local policy or procedures, in order to support the development of policies, processes and systems.
- To support the manager in applying any changes as appropriate in legislation, circulars and DWP guidance to the Benefits and Revenues system relating to housing benefits and the Council Tax Support scheme.
- To assist and collaborate with the ongoing development and review of the Council Tax Support scheme, working with other council departments and third sector organisations. To include ad hoc reporting, forecasting, options appraisal and identifying potential changes to increase or decrease expenditure.
- Complete the subsidy claim, reconciling to the Financial System, identifying errors and supporting documentation, cell adjustment and transfers, accounting for corrections and adjustments for assurance, identifying samples for testing (initial discovery and 40+).
- From the subsidy claim and audits, report any identified assessment training issues to the service manager.
- To assist relevant officers to ensure that all procedures covering subsidy are up to date and correct.
- To work with the councils’ auditors who complete external auditor’s workbooks along with any additional testing, ensuring agreed deadlines are met. This includes working with the service to explain calculations, payments, adjustments, and relevant legislation relating to the subsidy claim.
- Support with claimant complaints about the incorrect calculation or award of housing benefit where they are system based. Detailed knowledge of housing benefit guidance and legislation is required to ensure the council is processing claims correctly on the system.
- To ensure that income from overpaid benefits and local authority error overpayments are maximised, making sure that thresholds are not exceeded, and income generation is guaranteed for the council, providing accurate reports to the Benefits Operations Manager.
- Regular analysis of benefit subsidy, managing expenditure and identifying areas of potential loss.
- Test all new releases of software to ensure it is awarding benefit correctly and liaise on any issues resulting in noncompliance or incorrect awards likely to result in an audit failure.
4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post
- Support to the accurate completion of the £36m housing benefit subsidy claim.
5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post
6. Working environment and conditions of the post
- Normal working conditions.
7. Physical demands of the post
8. Specific resources used by the post
9. Key contacts and relationships
External
- Civica and other Software providers.
- External Auditors.
- Customers of the council.
- Other Local Authorities, affiliates to the council and Government Offices.
- DWP.
- Government Office Project Groups.
- System User Group / CIPFA Benchmarking Groups.
- HMRC.
Internal
- Corporate council Project Teams including Re Design team.
- Executive Director, Directors, and Service Managers.
- All service business units including senior managers and Finance Teams.
- IT Services (specifically).
- R&B staffing (specifically).
- All financial systems users.
- Internal audit providers.
10. Other duties
- To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job.
Other Information
- All staff must commit to Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discriminatory Practice.
- The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy, and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement.
- The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
- The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
- This post is historically office based at Tor Hill House, Torquay although changes to working from home practices may allow for permanent or hybrid home working.
- The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
- If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.
- You will be asked to complete a Criminal Records Self Declaration Form. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post. You will only be asked to disclose ‘unspent’ convictions.
Person Specification
Note for Candidate
All Candidates
The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement.
In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.
Candidates who consider that they have a disability
Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.
If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.
Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.
If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.
Job info |
Job info details |
Job Title |
Housing Benefit Subsidy Officer |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Customer Services & Benefits |
Service |
Customer Services & Benefits |
Business unit |
Benefits |
Skills and effectiveness
Essential skills and effectiveness
- Ability to build rapport and credibility with senior managers and members.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- The ability to present information in an easy to understand and concise manner to a range of different audiences.
- Able to manage a piece of work ensuring that all milestones are achieved, and deadlines are met. Must be able to work well with competing demands and cope with a continually changing working environment. Able to undertake a diverse workload and produce desired outcomes within those deadlines.
- Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to gain the respect of multi-professional teams, enthuse and motivate individuals and teams.
- Innovative approach to problem solving.
- Demonstrates commitment to colleagues, team objectives and collaborative working opportunities.
- The ability to provide information to support the completion of statutory grant and other returns with accuracy and timeliness. An eye to detail and accuracy are essential.
- Flexible approach, able to work on own initiative and as part of a team with competing deadlines. The post holder is required to be quick thinking with a calm, patient, and pragmatic manner.
- As this post meets the requirements of the Immigration Act 2016 (part 7), the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.
Desirable skills and effectiveness
- Developing and reporting upon the impacts of legislative change in the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support work environment.
- Ability to keep up to date with developments in technology.
Knowledge
Essential knowledge
- In order to carry out this role it is essential that you have detailed working knowledge of the Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support and Discretionary Award schemes.
- Extensive knowledge of Housing Benefit subsidy legislation.
- Excellent knowledge of ICT enabling business process change improvement.
- All round knowledge of capabilities of a Revenues & Benefits system (preferably Civica Open Revenues) to meet business needs.
- Knowledge in Council Tax Support scheme and the local requirements.
- Effective knowledge and understanding of the underlying legislation surrounding data security and be aware of associated risks and controls that need to be in place to adequately secure data including a working Knowledge of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
- A good working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
Desirable knowledge
- To have a sound knowledge of the Civica Open Revenues system.
- Knowledge of Open Revenues database.
- Knowledge of Business Objects (Crystal) Reporting and/or Power BI.
- Knowledge of data warehousing.
Experience and achievements
Essential experience and achievements
- Experience of analysing and solving complex process and systems problems.
- Experience of effectively handling multiple, sometimes competing agendas, meeting challenging deadlines and delivering under pressure.
- Evidence of continual personal development.
- Experience in developing and implementing new policies and procedures.
Desirable experience and achievements
- Development of new initiatives that have delivered improvement to customers.
- ICT report writing development.
Qualifications/professional memberships
Essential qualifications/professional memberships
- Educated to degree level standard or equivalent or demonstrable work-related experience.
Desirable qualifications/professional memberships
- Prince2 or equivalent.
- Business Analysis qualifications.
- ICT training courses with certification for report writing.
- Institute of Leadership and Management Level 3 or equivalent.
Other requirements
Other requirements of the job role
N/A