Income Project Officer

Reed; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 29,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

Reed is seeking an Income Maximisation Officer in London (Wembley Park) on a 3-month hybrid contract. The role focuses on maximising income through robust rent collection and arrears management, with liaison across Housing Needs, Housing Management and Adult Social Care to deliver a seamless service.

The successful candidate will provide a legislatively compliant collection service, apply welfare benefit entitlements, and drive projects to maximise income in challenging areas.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of local authority welfare benefits and rent-related services.
• Experience in multi-agency collaboration and multidisciplinary teams.
• Understanding of Housing Benefit regulations and arrears protocols.
• Proficient in standard IT software including Microsoft Office and Teams.
• Ability to interview customers and negotiate outcomes.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and multiple workstreams.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high-level customer service and ensure accurate, on-time responses.
• Stay informed on welfare benefit entitlements and housing-related changes.
• Advise tenants on welfare benefits and debt advice and refer to specialists.
• Collaborate with Housing Needs, Housing Management and Adult Social Care teams.
• Meet KPI targets set by the Income Maximisation Service Manager.
• Ensure rent collection and arrears reduction through policy enforcement.
• Provide in-person engagement and home visits as needed to support arrears cases.
• Support letting and sign-up processes to ensure rent is received from day one.
• Prepare timely reports on arrears and ensure statutory reporting compliance.

Skills

Benefits knowledge

Multi-agency collaboration

Rent arrears handling

Negotiation

Strong admin & organization

Tools

Microsoft Office

Teams

Job description

Income Maximisation Officer

• Annual Salary: £21.41 PAYE / £28.19 Umbrella
• Location: Wembley Park, London
• Job Type: 3 Month Temporary Contract (Subject to change)
• Working Scheme: Hybrid (3 days in Wembley Park office / 2 days working from home)

My client, an established local authority based in Wembley Park are seeking an Income Maximisation Officer to join their Housing Management team. This role is crucial for maximising income through robust rent collection and arrears management across varied portfolios and tenures. The successful candidate will provide a legislatively compliant collection service and work on projects to maximise income in struggling areas.

Day-to-day of the role:

• Provide high-level customer service, focusing on getting things right the first time, keeping promises, and taking ownership of customer demands and requests.
• Stay updated on welfare benefit entitlements, particularly housing-related benefits and changes due to Welfare Reform.
• Advise and assist clients across tenures on welfare benefits, encourage debt counselling, and refer tenants to specialist advice.
• Work with staff across Housing Needs, Housing Management, and Adult Social Care to provide a seamless service that maximises income while ensuring the holistic needs of a client are met.
• Achieve targets on Key Performance Indicators as set by the Income Maximisation Service Manager.
• Ensure rent is paid and arrears are reducing through the effective enforcement of rent arrears policy, procedure, and systems.
• Provide detailed in-person engagement and support to tenants and clients in arrears, including home visits and working from sites as required.
• Be a part of the letting and sign-up process to ensure rent is received from day one.
• Prepare timely and accurate reports on arrears cases and ensure compliance with statutory and service-wide reporting requirements.

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Knowledge and understanding of local authority statutory and support services related to benefits and rent.
• Experience in a partnership/multi-agency setting and multi-disciplinary team.
• Understanding of Housing Benefit regulations and rent arrears pre-actions protocols.
• Good knowledge of standard IT software packages including Microsoft Office and Teams.
• Ability to effectively interview customers and achieve outcomes through active listening and negotiation skills.
• Highly organized with excellent attention to detail and ability to manage numerous workstreams.
• A basic DBS check is required for this position.