Income and Recovery Officer

Job Description Rate: £18.51 per hour Umbrella Term: 3 months initially Hours per week: 37 Location: Remote but 1st day on site for induction MAIN DUTIES: 1. Assist with the administration and maintenance of all manual and computer records relating to the levy, collection and recovery of Council Tax, Business Rate, Benefit Overpayments and other debts owed to the council. 2. Provide detailed advice and assistance to customers and their representatives on a wide range of enquiries, complaints and issues, including liability, discounts and exemptions and debt recovery to a high standard of customer service including in writing, email, over the phone and face to face. 3. Process correspondence and data including the maintenance of computer records using a range of appropriate office technology and systems in order to record, update and access information as appropriate. 4. Trace debtors who have moved without leaving a forwarding address. This will also include undertaking tracing searches and utilising software or contacting external bodies to establish a forwarding address. 5. Pro-actively pursue debtors who miss or make late payments, and issue reminders, summonses and other relevant notices, as appropriate in line with legislation and council policy. 6. Negotiate payment arrangements directly with customers and/or their representatives over the telephone and in face-to-face interviews, having regard to the total debt owed by the customer to the Council and taking into account the customer’s financial circumstances and vulnerability. 7. Use discretion to identify vulnerable customers who may be suffering extreme financial hardship or other specific issues. Ensure appropriate support and advice is provided to the customer through the relevant internal service area or external organisations using recognised referral options. 8. Monitor that repayment agreements are being adhered to, and make decisions regarding the most appropriate method of recovery for each case, within a set of prescribed guidelines. 9. To provide advice and guidance to customers on current policy and legislation specific to customers needs. 10. Liaise with the Benefits team to resolve issues and queries where appropriate to maintain accuracy of information held and provide additional information and advice when required. 11. Liaise with other Council Services, Courts, Civil Enforcement Agents, Landlords and other external bodies on revenues and benefits matters, as directed. 12. Undertake any training deemed appropriate to the post and the development of the service to ensure an up to date knowledge of legislation, policies and procedures. 13. To ensure that all information remains confidential and is not disclosed to any unauthorised person’s, paying particular attention to the Data Protection Act and related legislation and policy and procedures. 14. To assist with any duties commensurate with the grade of the post. 15. Under the supervision of Assistant Team Manager for Revenues undertake valuation work as appropriate including but not limited to new properties, structural changes or improvements requiring more detailed technical knowledge in order to report to the Valuation Office Agency. 16. Under the supervision of the Assistant Team Manager process refunds and write off’s. 17. Provide advice and guidance and use discretion in order to determine and process applications for Uninhabitable Discounts and Disabled Band Reductions including undertaking property inspections if appropriate. 18. To liaise with Customer Services and provide advice, guidance and training as appropriate, contributing to continuous improvement, efficient processes and an excellent customer focussed service. Requirements . Must have Council tax recovery experience - Business rates desirable not essential. MRI system usage currently. Experience Dealing with work of a confidential nature Experience of dealing directly with customer enquiries Experience of administration of revenues and/or benefits service, or in debt recovery is desirable Knowledge A good understanding of customer service principle Working knowledge of rules and regulations regarding Council Tax and/or Business Rates Knowledge and understanding of debt recovery procedures Skills & Competencies Able to demonstrate excellent verbal and written communications skills Able to form good working relationships with others and work as an effective team member Able to meet deadlines and targets Able to remain calm and patient under pressure Excellent attention to detail with the ability to produce accurate work Good keyboard and IT skills Proficient in use of Microsoft Office packages Willing to contribute ideas on service improvements and developments Enthusiastic and adaptable Concern for efficiency and quality within the department 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.