Benefit Assessment Officer

West Northamptonshire Council; Northampton; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

West Northamptonshire Council is seeking a Benefits Assessment Officer to join the Revenues & Benefits team. You will assess Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction claims, interpret legislation and ensure accuracy while supporting residents through the process.

Full training provided, with a comprehensive probation period, as you build specialist knowledge and contribute to fair and efficient administration of public funds.

Qualifications

• Experience in Housing Benefit or welfare benefits preferred.
• Ability to interpret legislation and apply complex rules.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy in benefits assessment.

Responsibilities

• Assess Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction claims and determine entitlement.
• Review changes in circumstances and process changes to claims.
• Explain complex information clearly to customers and stakeholders.
• Identify overpayments and support accuracy and fraud prevention where appropriate.

Skills

Attention to detail

Customer service

Legislation interpretation

Communication skills

Job description

Helping residents access the financial support they need is at the heart of this role. As a Benefits Assessment Officer, you'll join our Revenues & Benefits team and play an important role in assessing Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction claims, ensuring customers receive the help they are entitled to while maintaining compliance with complex legislation.

This is a rewarding opportunity to make a real difference to residents across West Northamptonshire, supporting people who may be facing financial challenges and helping to ensure public funds are administered fairly and accurately. While previous Housing Benefit experience would be beneficial, we're also keen to hear from candidates with backgrounds in welfare benefits, housing, customer advice services or other roles that involve interpreting legislation and supporting customers. Full training will be provided, with a comprehensive training and probation programme in place to help you succeed.

The successful candidate will join the team in January 2027, making this an excellent opportunity for someone looking to start the new year in a role where they can develop specialist knowledge and build a rewarding career.

Our Benefits

You can also see our full list of employee benefits on our careers site here: Why you should work for us | West Northamptonshire Council.

What will you be doing?

You’ll assess new Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction claims, review changes in circumstances and make decisions in accordance with government legislation, Council policies and service standards. Working with customers, landlords, the Department for Work and Pensions, housing services and other stakeholders, you’ll gather and verify information, calculate entitlement and ensure claims are processed accurately and efficiently.

A key aspect of the role will involve interpreting complex legislation and keeping up to date with regular legislative changes. You’ll respond to enquiries through telephone, email, correspondence and face-to-face contact, providing advice on Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, Universal Credit and wider welfare support. You’ll also identify and manage overpayments, support vulnerable customers and contribute to fraud prevention activities where appropriate.

Working as part of a supportive team, you’ll manage your own workload, work towards service targets and contribute to maintaining the high standards of accuracy and customer service that residents expect from the Council.

About You

You're someone who enjoys working with detailed information, applying rules and legislation and helping people access support when they need it most. You have excellent attention to detail and can balance accuracy with productivity while managing a varied workload.

You’ll be a confident communicator with the ability to explain complex information clearly and sensitively. Whether speaking with customers, landlords or partner organisations, you’ll be able to build positive relationships and remain professional when handling challenging or sensitive situations.

Experience in Housing Benefits, welfare benefits, housing, local government, debt advice, the Department for Work and Pensions, Citizens Advice or other legislation-based environments would be advantageous. Equally important is your willingness to learn, your ability to interpret complex information and your commitment to delivering excellent customer service. Above all, you’ll share our THRIVE values and our passion for supporting residents and helping our communities thrive.

About Us

At West Northants Council, its about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.

Our vision is 'to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive'. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services. Hear from our Chief Executive, Martin Henry, about building a career at WNC.

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential. We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner.

The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us.

If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email [e-mail] for support.

West Northants Council, where careers thrive.