Income Project Officer

Morgan Hunt UK Limited; Wembley; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

LB Brent Council in Wembley is seeking an Income Project Officer to join their team on a contract basis. You will deliver high-quality customer service, promote self-sufficiency, and help maximise rent and welfare income from day one.

The role requires knowledge of welfare benefits, collaboration with Housing Needs, Housing Management and Adult Social Care, and the ability to report on arrears and performance indicators.

Responsibilities

• Provide high level customer service with emphasis on getting things right the first time, keeping promises and taking ownership for customer demands and requests.
• To keep up to date on welfare benefit entitlements, particularly housing related benefits and all changes due to Welfare Reform.
• To advise and assist clients across tenures on welfare benefits - to offer advice and encourage debt counselling and refer tenants to specialist advice.
• To work with staff across Housing Needs, Housing Management and Adult Social Care to provide a seamless service that is person centred and maximises income while ensuring that 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 on a continuing basis through the effective enforcement of the rent arrears policy, procedure and systems.
• Provide detailed in person engagement and support to tenants and clients in arrears, carrying out 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.
• Responsible for preparing timely and accurate reports on arrears cases.
• Maintain appropriate and accurate records to comply with statutory and service wide reporting requirements on performance issues.

Job description

LB Brent - Wembley - Income Project Officer

Are you an Income Project Officer looking for your next assignment? LB Brent are currently recruiting for a Income Project Officer to join their team on a contract basis. Please see below!

Job specific roles and responsibilities

1. Provide high level customer service with emphasis on getting things right the first time, keeping promises and taking ownership for the customer demands and requests. Promote self-sufficiency in our services while offering support to those that need extra help.
2. To keep up to date on welfare benefit entitlements, particularly housing related benefits and all changes due to Welfare Reform.
3. To advise and assist clients across tenures on welfare benefits - to offer advice and encourage debt counselling and refer tenants to specialist advice.
4. To work with staff across Housing Needs, Housing Management and Adult Social Care to provide a seamless service that is person centred and maximises income while ensuring that the holistic needs of a client are met.
5. Achieve targets on Key Performance Indicators as set by the Income Maximisation Service Manager. Version 2: (09/2023) Date of Job EvaluaƟon: 03/01/2021
6. Work flexibly on varied projects relating to Income Maximisation and across portfolios with particular emphasis on New and Independent Living, Brent Direct Leasing, Temporary Accommodation and Supported Accommodation.
7. Ensure rent is paid and arrears are reducing on a continuing basis through the effective enforcement of the rent arrears policy, procedure and systems.
8. Provide detailed in person engagement and support to tenants and clients in arrears, carrying out home visits and working from sites as required.
9. Be a part of the letting and sign-up process to ensure rent is received from day one.
10. Responsible for preparing timely and accurate reports on arrears cases.
11. Ensure that closed accounts are reconciled, and HB has been correctly allocated to the accounts. To ensure HB Overpayments are cleared and any customer credits refunded in line with the Council's policy. Refer and monitor former customer arrears to external debt collectors and to recommend write off of unrecoverable debt.
12. Implement appropriate procedures to ensure effective fraud prevention and refer suspected cases of fraud or misrepresentation to the Council's Audit and Investigation Unit to comply with statutory requirements and protect the Council's interest ensuring all relevant stakeholders are appropriately notified.
13. Maintain appropriate and accurate records to comply with statutory and service wide reporting requirements on performance issues. Proactively monitoring and reporting to the Manager in respect of service delivery, performance indicators and target.
14. Develop understanding of the wider context and through flow of the portfolios, working with teams such as Rent Accounting, Housing Resolutions, Emergency Housing Team and Social Workers, to make sure that clients and tenants are set up to succeed from day 1.
15. Attend and present at court cases and evictions; ensure the Council's interests are protected.
16. Support the Council's channel shifting ambition, by promoting online transactions.
17. Promote and set up Direct Debits wherever possible and at every opportunity.
18. Work holistically with a commercial mindset for the Council, checking that clients and tenants have Council Tax and rent in payment and they, their advocates, appointees and officers of the council are actively involved with cases.
19. Escalate risk in an appropriate and proportionate way to management. Version 2: (09/2023) Date of Job EvaluaƟon: 03/01/2021
20. Offer proactive resolution of customers' complaints and members' enquiries regarding the service ensuring all issues are remedied and a formal response is provided concluding the case within the legislative framework.
21. Offer proactive resolution to enquiries that arise from engagement with tenants and clients, taking ownership and accountability, limiting hand offs and having a solution focussed, one team attitude across services.
22. Engage in resident engagement activities as required.
23. Maintain accurate customer records in all required systems both in the office and out on-site including logging of customer feedback and engagement activities in real time.
24. Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and all employees are required to act in such a way that always safeguards the health and well-being of children and vulnerable adults.
25. Carry out duties with due regard to the Council's Customer Care, Equal Opportunities, Information Governance, Data Protection, Health and Safety and Emergency Planning & Awareness (including to provide assistance where available) policies and procedures.
26. Employees should embed environmental sustainability into their work, actively contributing to Brent becoming a carbon-neutral borough in 2030.
27. Undertake any other duties commensurate with the general level of responsibility of this post.
28. Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and all employees are required to act in such a way that always safeguards the health and well-being of children and vulnerable adults.
29. Undertake any other duties commensurate with the general level of responsibility of this post.
    

Public Sector and Government