Housing Financial Support Officer

Carrington West; Greater London; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Carrington West is recruiting a Financial Support Officer to join a local authority's Resident Financial Support Service. You will assess applications for discretionary financial assistance and determine eligibility to administer various support schemes.

Full time and part time applications are considered, with duties spanning assessment, documentation verification, award decisions and performance reporting within established council policies.

Qualifications

• Experience in financial support, welfare benefits, discretionary housing payments or a similar local authority service.
• Knowledge of welfare benefits, financial assistance schemes and housing-related support.
• Experience assessing applications and making evidence-based eligibility decisions.
• Ability to interpret benefit awards, income and expenditure information and supporting documentation.
• Understanding of discretionary financial assistance, crisis support or housing payment schemes.
• Experience using financial assessment or case management systems.
• Knowledge of financial controls, data protection and fraud identification.
• Experience managing application caseloads and processing decisions within agreed timescales.

Responsibilities

• Assess applications for financial support schemes, including crisis payments, housing payments and essential household assistance.
• Review income, expenditure, benefits, savings and housing costs to determine eligibility for financial assistance.
• Make independent decisions on discretionary awards in accordance with Council policies and funding criteria.
• Assess housing-related financial assistance, including rent shortfalls, to support tenancy sustainment and homelessness prevention.
• Identify and prioritise urgent applications from residents experiencing financial hardship.
• Verify supporting documentation using Council systems, DWP records and other relevant sources.
• Process applications, communicate award decisions and maintain accurate case records.
• Identify potential fraud, misrepresentation or errors and escalation concerns appropriately.
• Ensure compliance with financial controls, data protection and audit requirements.
• Support application reviews, quality assurance and service performance reporting.

Skills

Financial assessment

Case management

Decision making

Data protection

Fraud awareness

Tools

Case management systems

Job description

We are currently recruiting for a Financial Support Officer to join a local authority's Resident Financial Support Service. The successful candidate will assess applications for discretionary financial assistance, determine eligibility and administer financial support schemes for residents experiencing financial hardship.

Full time and part time applications are considered.

The Role

• Assess applications for financial support schemes, including crisis payments, housing payments and essential household assistance.
• Review income, expenditure, benefits, savings and housing costs to determine eligibility for financial assistance.
• Make independent decisions on discretionary awards in accordance with Council policies and funding criteria.
• Assess housing-related financial assistance, including rent shortfalls, to support tenancy sustainment and homelessness prevention.
• Identify and prioritise urgent applications from residents experiencing financial hardship.
• Verify supporting documentation using Council systems, DWP records and other relevant sources.
• Process applications, communicate award decisions and maintain accurate case records.
• Identify potential fraud, misrepresentation or errors and escalation concerns appropriately.
• Ensure compliance with financial controls, data protection and audit requirements.
• Support application reviews, quality assurance and service performance reporting.

Key Requirements

• Experience in financial support, welfare benefits, discretionary housing payments or a similar local authority service.
• Knowledge of welfare benefits, financial assistance schemes and housing-related support.
• Experience assessing applications and making evidence-based eligibility decisions.
• Ability to interpret benefit awards, income and expenditure information and supporting documentation.
• Understanding of discretionary financial assistance, crisis support or housing payment schemes.
• Experience using financial assessment or case management systems.
• Knowledge of financial controls, data protection and fraud identification.
• Experience managing application caseloads and processing decisions within agreed timescales.

If you do not hear from us within 48 hours of applying, your application has been unsuccessful.

Footnote

If you feel that this job matches your skills but not the rate, location or seniority, please feel free to send us your CV anyway. We regularly recruit for Financial Support Officers, Benefits Assessment Officers, Welfare Support Officers and Housing Support Officers across the UK and would be pleased to speak with you confidentially.

Even if you are currently satisfied in your role, we welcome calls from housing, welfare benefits and financial support professionals looking to build future connections.

For more information, call Zubair at Carrington West on 02393 876065.