Income Officer

Sovereign Network Group; Greenham; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 38,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days holiday

Pension up to 12%

Life cover 4x salary

Private medical insurance

Dental insurance

Gym membership discounts

Wellbeing days

Volunteering days

Job summary

Sovereign Network Group in the United Kingdom is seeking a Customer Accounts Officer based at the Greenham office to manage a portfolio of customer accounts in the Oxfordshire area, combining home, office and onsite working.

You will be responsible for collecting payments on time, minimising arrears, and providing advice on welfare benefits. The role requires strong communication, IT skills, and a collaborative approach with internal teams and external partners.

Qualifications

• Experience in arrears management and debt recovery.
• Experience negotiating payment arrangements.
• Understanding of welfare benefits (Universal Credit, Housing Benefit).
• Strong communication and organisational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple caseloads and use IT systems.

Responsibilities

• Proactively manage customer accounts to prevent arrears and encourage prompt payments.
• Negotiate affordable repayment arrangements with customers.
• Provide advice on welfare benefits and conduct affordability assessments.
• Refer customers for specialist support when needed.
• Take appropriate recovery actions including documentation and court hearings.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external agencies to support customers.
• Maintain accurate records and ensure compliance with policies and regulations.
• Contribute to service improvements to reduce arrears.

Skills

Arrears management

Debt recovery

Income collection

Payment negotiations

Welfare benefits

Universal Credit

Housing Benefit

Communication

Organisational skills

Decision making

IT proficiency

Team collaboration

Job description

Salary: £32,000.00 - £38,000.00 Per year

SNG (Sovereign Network Group) is one of the largest housing associations in England. We provide over 85,000 homes and invest in communities across the South, West and East of England, including London, as well as aiming to create thousands of new affordable homes every year.

We have a Permanent opportunity for a Customer Accounts Officer to join our team! Based from our Greenham office, you'll cover our Oxfordshire area, combining home, office and onsite working.

A full UK Drivers License and your own transport is essential to this role.

The Role

As a Customer Accounts Officer, you'll manage a portfolio of customer accounts, ensuring payments are collected on time and arrears are minimised. You'll work closely with customers to find sustainable payment solutions, provide advice on welfare benefits, and take action where debts remain unresolved.

What You'll Be Doing

• Proactively managing customer accounts to prevent arrears and encourage prompt payments.
• Negotiating affordable repayment arrangements with customers.
• Providing advice on welfare benefits, conducting affordability assessments, and referring customers for specialist support.
• Taking appropriate recovery action, including preparing documentation and attending court hearings.
• Working collaboratively with internal teams and external agencies to support customers effectively.
• Maintaining accurate records, ensuring compliance with policies, procedures, and regulations.
• Contributing to service improvements and sharing best practices to help reduce arrears.

What We're Looking For

• Strong knowledge of arrears management, debt recovery, and income collection.
• Experience negotiating payment arrangements and supporting customers with financial matters.
• An understanding of welfare benefits, including Universal Credit and Housing Benefit.
• Excellent communication, organisational, and decision-making skills.
• IT proficiency and the ability to manage caseloads effectively.
• A collaborative mindset with the ability to work across teams and with external partners.
• A full UK driving licence and access to a car (required for some roles, depending on location).

Benefits

• 25 Days Holiday + Bank Holidays (with an extra day every year up to 30 days)
• Chance to buy or sell holiday as part of our flexible benefits package
• 3 additional wellbeing days and 2 paid volunteering days
• Generous matched pension scheme up to 12% and Life cover at 4x salary
• Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption pay
• Options for private medical insurance, dental insurance and critical illness cover
• Wellbeing discounts, including Gym Memberships and access to a 24/7 virtual GP service

At Sovereign Network Group, we are passionate about inclusion for all and creating a workplace where everyone can thrive. We are committed to our Equality Diversity and Inclusion strategy and believe that you can truly be yourself at SNG. Take a look at our careers site to learn more about us and our values.

Please note a Basic DBS check will be undertaken for the successful candidate.