Income Officer

Northumberland County Council Jobs; Blyth; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days annual leave

Local Government Pension Scheme

Flexi scheme

Job summary

Northumberland County Council is seeking an Income Officer within the Housing Management Team to lead on income collection and arrears case work. You will work with the Income Manager and senior colleagues to secure rental income and support customers in financial difficulty.

The role focuses on thorough investigations, negotiations on arrears, and collaborative problem solving to maintain tenancy sustainability and accessibility for all customers.

Qualifications

• Experience handling tenancy arrears and welfare benefits knowledge is preferred.
• Ability to communicate clearly with customers and negotiate payment plans.
• Empathy, team player mindset and willingness to support colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Investigate tenancy arrears to determine reasons for non-payment.
• Discuss payment plans with customers and refer to specialist services when needed.
• Conduct property visits to discuss arrears and identify vulnerabilities.
• Collaborate with internal housing teams to deliver customer-focused solutions.

Skills

Welfare benefits knowledge

Communication skills

Customer service orientation

Job description

Northumberland County Council’s (NCC) vision is ‘Land of Great Opportunities’, for current and future generations. We believe there is no better place to live and work.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our Housing Management Team as an Income Officer. Reporting to the Income Manager and supported by Seniors, you will be at the forefront of our Income Collection service, ensuring excellence and accessibility for all.

This role provides an opportunity to be part of a team that makes a difference to people's lives and the customers we serve. As an Income Officer you will be at the forefront of our collection service, ensuring excellence and accessibility for all.

What you’ll be doing:

Undertaking thorough investigations into tenancy arrears to determine the reason for non-payment.

Undertake regular communication with our customers to discuss payment plans, negotiate arrears settlements and provide support with referring to our specialist services where appropriate.

Undertake property visits to customers' homes when necessary to discuss arrears and identify vulnerabilities.

Work with other teams both inside and outside of housing to develop an effective solution for our customers facing financial difficulties, always providing a comprehensive customer-focused service.

What you’ll bring:

• Knowledge of Welfare Benefits (including CRF, previously DHP, under-occupation, and budgeting) would be preferred
• Be forward thinking, have empathy and prepared to take on meaningful challenges, achieving success and making a difference to those in need.
• Be a team player and be willing to help and support colleagues as well as managing your own patch where required.

Why choose us?

We have some outstanding benefits and perks to offer you, including:

• 26 days annual leave plus public/bank holidays, rising to 31 days after 5 years of service (pro rata for part-time employees)
• Automatic enrolment into the Local Government Pension Scheme
• Flexi scheme (if applicable) – up to 2 days flexible leave available per month (pro rata for part-time employees)

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We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria. If you have a disability and would prefer to apply in a different format, please see the alternative methods below. This information will be treated as confidential and will only be used to check that you meet the essential requirements of the post.

For further information about working for NCC, please visit our website here .

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