Benefits Officer

Local Government Chronicle; Cromer; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexi time

25 days holiday (plus bank holidays)

Local government pension scheme

Job summary

North Norfolk District Council in Cromer is seeking two Benefits Officers to join the Benefits team to administer Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support and related Discretionary Awards, helping residents maximise income with compassionate, clear communication.

You will handle routine claims, changes of circumstances and enquiries, with BPSS check and a career graded salary. The post offers flexible hours, 25 days holiday, and a generous local government pension scheme.

Qualifications

• Experience in benefits assessment or similar customer-focused role.
• Detail-oriented and organised.
• Good communication and empathy with residents.

Responsibilities

• Make full assessments of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support claims.
• Maximise residents' income using various data sources.
• Deliver high-quality customer service.
• Recover Housing Benefit overpayments.
• Support administration of the Crisis and Resilience fund payments.

Skills

Customer service

Communication skills

Job description

Benefits Officer

About The Role

We have a fantastic opportunity for two Benefit Officers to join our friendly and welcoming team and be part of our ever-improving service delivering financial support to residents of North Norfolk. Working in a team you will be trained to deal with the administration of Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support and related Discretionary Awards. This includes maintaining computerised records and dealing with routine claims, changes of circumstances, correspondence and customer enquiries. You will help support local residents, through using various data sources to ensure they are in receipt of all available help to maximise their income, working closely with other services to provide wraparound support to some of our most vulnerable residents.

• Make a real difference and support those who need it most
• Recover Housing Benefit overpayments
• Maximise income for local residents
• Make full assessments of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support claims
• Deliver high quality customer service
• Support in the administration of the Crisis and Resilience fund payments
• Be at the heart of our mission to support financial wellbeing and prevent hardship
• Receive employee benefits such as flexi time, 25 days paid holiday and join a generous pension scheme

Please note this is a career graded post, the salary range is £28,153 to £33,673 depending on experience.

About You

We are looking for someone who has experience in benefits assessment or a similar customer focused role. You will have a willingness to learn, as through a programme of training you will acquire the knowledge, skills and understanding necessary to fully perform the role. You will be detail-oriented, organised and able to work independently. You will have good communication skills, in order to communicate clearly and with compassion to a wide range of people, ensuring that individuals and families receive the help they need.

If you want to be part of an enthusiastic and forward thinking team, with a varied and challenging workload and thrive in a team that is committed to making a difference - we would love to hear from you.

Application Information

Applications for part time hours will be considered. The post requires a BPSS check.

Closing Date

11.59pm on 20th September 2026

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a sufficient number of suitable applicants.

Interviews

29th and 30th September 2026

Get in Touch

For an informal discussion please contact Ian Dance or Karen Swash on

About Us

North Norfolk is a fantastic place to live, work and visit. It covers 360 sq miles of coastal and rural environment, with over 100,000 people living in 120 distinct communities. Our district is one of England's top holiday destinations and a place where people positively choose to live.

We're committed to promoting equality of opportunity for the people and communities of North Norfolk. We respect and value differences in our district and across our workforce, and we want everyone to feel included and able to play their part in making North Norfolk a great place to live, learn, work and visit. Our coast and environment are extremely important to us.

Recognising that North Norfolk faces a very real threat from climate change, the Council has declared a climate emergency. We have developed a Net Zero strategy to support our ambitions and all staff have a role to play in meeting our carbon reduction targets.

We have a supportive culture that enables our people to learn and grow through attending courses, e-learning, and their daily job roles. We provide excellent opportunities for communication through updates from Directors and the Chief Executive. Our onsite recognised union is UNISON.

Benefits

• employee assistance program
• discounts portal
• salary sacrifice schemes (bikes, home electricals and EV car leasing - available after completion of probation period).

You Will Also Enjoy

• a good work-life balance, with many roles following our hybrid approach to work (if your role supports hybrid working, all we ask is that you have a stable and reliable internet connection)
• 25 days' holiday per year, plus bank holidays, increasing to 30 days after 5 years' service (assuming the role is full-time)
• access to an excellent local government pension scheme based on your local authority career average earnings

We encourage applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.

North Norfolk District Council

Cromer, UK

Permanent

Published on 17 Sep 2026