Benefits Overpayment Recovery Officer

Kirklees Metropolitan Council; Harrogate; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Learning and development

Generous annual leave

Local Government Pension Scheme

Job summary

North Yorkshire Council is seeking a Benefit Overpayment Officer to join the Benefits Compliance Team in a hybrid role based in Harrogate and surrounding offices. You will manage overpayments, provide high-quality customer support, and collaborate with partner services to guide residents toward financial assistance.

Ideal candidates will have Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction experience, debt recovery skills, and strong IT and communication abilities.

Qualifications

• Experience in assessing Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction claims.
• Experience in debt recovery and various collection methods.
• Background in customer support with one-to-one client interaction.
• Proficient IT skills including databases, internet apps and Microsoft Office.
• Excellent communication and conflict-resolution abilities.
• Confident and decisive decision-maker.
• GCSEs in English and Maths.

Responsibilities

• Administer and monitor overpayments, handling recovery from invoicing to repayment.
• Investigate and address daily customer inquiries via phone, in person, and written communication.
• Collaborate with services and professional bodies to aid recovery and advise customers.
• Support customers in financial hardship while maintaining a recovery focus.

Skills

Housing Benefit experience

Council Tax Reduction experience

Debt recovery experience

Customer support experience

IT literacy (databases/Office)

Excellent communication

Decisive decision-making

Education

GCSE English & Maths

Tools

MS Office

Customer databases

Internet applications

Job description

North Yorkshire Council is seeking a Benefit Overpayment Officer to join the Benefits Compliance Team in a hybrid role based in Harrogate and surrounding offices. You will manage overpayments, provide high-quality customer support, and collaborate with partner services to guide residents toward financial assistance.

Ideal candidates will have Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction experience, debt recovery skills, and strong IT and communication abilities.