The Role

We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic person to join our small, friendly team of housing benefit experts.

We provide benefit case level support to the Benefits Team and the Department for Work and Pension through our work on quality checking, Management Information report checking, and system regression testing. This is a vital role to ensure both Richmond  Council and Wandsworth Council benefit claims are accurate for customer benefit maximisation and DWP Subsidy purposes.

We aim to provide the best possible service to both Council’s, therefore, if you see yourself as someone with the housing benefit technical expertise we need, you should apply for this exciting role. 

You will need a thorough knowledge of the processes, procedures, and statutory framework underpinning housing benefit and also the different council tax reduction discount schemes currently operated by Richmond Council and Wandsworth Council. Your experience in using the software systems NEC Revenue & Benefits and Civica Digital360 is essential in carrying out extensive technical quality assurance testing and accurate benefit assessments.

At Richmond and Wandsworth Councils, we care more about how you work and what you achieve, rather than where you work on any given day. The difference you can make to our local communities is what really matters most to us, service delivery must always come first. We have carefully considered agile ways of working to provide the best experience for residents, stakeholders and our staff. Our agile working strategy actively supports and encourages a dynamic work environment and daily working experience. Agile working helps put the needs of our staff at the centre of everything we do, so if specific flexible working arrangements helps you with this, feel free to let us know.

Your wellbeing and the flexible way in which you can work is and will remain a key priority for Richmond and Wandsworth Councils. We want you to thrive and feel empowered in your work!

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working including, working from home, compressed hours, term time only and other arrangements. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore. We also offer a generous holiday allowance of 39 paid days (pro rata) including bank holidays and a wide range of learning and development opportunities.

In addition, we offer a comprehensive range of staff benefits such as membership of the Local Government pension scheme, childcare vouchers, new technology scheme, interest-free loans on annual travel cards, discounts with many leisure activities, restaurants, shops and other establishments.

Indicative Recruitment Timeline

Closing Date: Sunday 27^th March 2022

Shortlisting Date: W/C Monday 28^th March 2022

Interview Date: Thursday 7^th April 2022

Useful Information:

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Please note that the advertised dates for interviews may change due to the current Covid-19 situation. If they do, we will let you know as soon as possible. Your health and wellbeing is our top priority. Should you become unwell due to Covid-19 during the recruitment process we would very much appreciate receiving an update from you as soon as possible.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services.

The application process for this campaign will be anonymous.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.

Important Information:

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils