Benefits Assessment Officer (Academy)

Job Description This is a remote position. Rate: £28.07 per hour (umbrella) Term: 16 weeks Hours per week: 36 Benefits Officer required to process Housing Payments and Crisis Support Payments as part of our CRF Scheme. The role includes follow-up work in which we try to maximise residents income and reduce their expenses. Purpose of the role To deliver a targeted, customer-focused service as part of the Council’s Crisis Resilience Fund (CRF), supporting residents experiencing or at risk of financial hardship. The postholder will be responsible for administering Crisis Support Payments and Housing Payments, while proactively engaging residents to maximise income, reduce outgoings, and improve long-term financial resilience. The role will also contribute to wider service delivery, including Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support processing and, where required, debt recovery activities. Key responsibilities 1. Crisis Resilience Fund Delivery Process applications for Crisis Support Payments and Housing-related payments accurately and in line with policy and guidance Make timely decisions, prioritising urgent and vulnerable cases Ensure all awards are correctly assessed, verified, and recorded Identify and escalate safeguarding concerns or vulnerability where appropriate 2. Income Maximisation & Financial Support Proactively contact residents (primarily via telephone) to: Identify opportunities to increase household income (e.g. benefit entitlement, grant support) Reduce household expenditure (e.g. utilities, debt repayments, budgeting support) Provide holistic financial support advice tailored to individual circumstances Make referrals to internal services and external partners (e.g. debt advice agencies, voluntary sector organisations such as StepChange where appropriate) Support residents in accessing sustainable financial solutions rather than short-term crisis support alone 3. Stakeholder Engagement Liaise effectively with internal teams and external partners, including: Housing Services Adult Social Care Revenues & Benefits DWP, HMRC Advice agencies and voluntary sector organisations Build positive working relationships to support coordinated interventions for residents. Act as a key point of contact for CRF-related enquiries. 4. Performance, Reporting & Data Recording Accurately record all interventions, outcomes, and customer interactions on the relevant systems Capture measurable outcomes, including: Additional income secured Expenditure reduced Referrals made Support reporting requirements to demonstrate the impact and effectiveness of the CRF scheme Maintain high standards of data quality to support evidence-based decision making and service improvement 5. Core Benefits Processing Process Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support claims and changes where required, ensuring accuracy and compliance with legislation Prioritise urgent cases and maintain service performance standards Identify potential fraud or error and refer appropriately 6. Debt Prevention and Recovery (as required) Support early intervention activity to prevent debt escalation Assist with recovery of overpayments or debts where appropriate Promote sustainable repayment arrangements, considering customer vulnerability 7. Customer Service & Case Management Deliver a high-quality, empathetic service to residents, including those in vulnerable or challenging situations Manage complex cases, using judgement and discretion within policy and guidance Communicate clearly with customers, ensuring decisions and requirements are understood 8. Continuous Improvement Contribute to the development of CRF processes, workflows, and customer journeys Identify trends and emerging issues affecting residents Support service improvements, including use of data and automation tools Key Outcomes Crisis payments are processed accurately and within target timescales Residents receive effective support that improves long-term financial resilience Income maximisation outcomes are clearly evidenced and reported High levels of customer satisfaction are achieved Service performance targets are consistently met Requirements At least 3 years Housing Benefit / Council Tax Support / Discretionary Scheme administration experience Be a MRI(Capita/Academy) user Benefits We believe employee benefits should go beyond just a free drink or fruit bowl. What’s more, we believe you should get to choose perks that suit your lifestyle. That’s why we’ve partnered up with the global benefits and rewards provider Perkbox, to offer something for all of our people. Here’s what you can look forward to: Perks Hub Hundreds of global and local perks, available online 24/7 Free monthly lifestyle perks; such as free coffees, breakfasts, cinema tickets, etc Shopping discounts from the biggest brands, all year round Save money on everything from the supermarket shop to summer holidays Wellness Hub Easy to follow videos for everything from yoga exercises, to strength training and HIIT workouts Mindfulness, meditation and sleep resources, available on all your devices Guides to help with everything from anxiety to stopping smoking Confidential mental health helpline, 24/7 access to a qualified counsellor Celebration Hub Working with us means you're always part of Team BSS - celebrate and recognise fellow contractors, whether they're across the desk or across the world Company polls where everybody can vote for the winners Culture Hub A single place to find company updates, photos, benefits information and lots more! Stay in the loop with what’s happening by accessing Culture hub anywhere, at any time Pre-Compliance Checks for Successful Applicants: At BSS, we uphold the highest standards of screening and trust for every role. Successful applicants will undergo a comprehensive pre-compliance process in line with the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). This includes: Identity Verification: Confirming the authenticity of your identity documents. Employment History Checks: Reviewing your occupation history for the past 3-5 years (depending on client requirement). Right to Work Verification: Ensuring you have the legal right to work in the UK. Unspent Conviction Check: Conducting a Basic DBS Check to reveal any unspent convictions. These checks are crucial in ensuring a secure and trustworthy work collaboration, aligning with best practices used in government and public sectors. While primarily standard in these sectors, our adoption of pre-compliance checks across all roles reflects our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and trust in our recruitment process. Equal Opportunities Business Smart Solutions are a Recruitment Agency - We hire talented and passionate people from a variety of backgrounds because we want our global worker base to represent the wide diversity of our clients. If you’re excited about a role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every bullet point listed in the job description, we still encourage you to apply. If you're passionate about working for a role in local government and share our company values, we encourage you to apply. BSS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. BSS considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable UK law. If you need assistance or an accommodation made due to a disability, please let your recruiter know. Armed Forces Covenant We endeavour in our business dealings to uphold the key principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, which are: No member of the Armed Forces Community should face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial services compared to any other citizen In some circumstances special treatment may be appropriate especially for the injured or bereaved.