Verification Assurance Officer - North West and Wales

Government Recruitment Service; Accrington; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Disability Confident employer scheme

Job summary

Government Recruitment Service is seeking a Verification Assurance Officer to join the North West and Wales team in Accrington. The role involves interviewing claimants and working with Jobcentre colleagues on verification activities to prevent fraud entering the welfare system.

Based at a Jobcentre, you will deliver frontline fraud controls, educate customers on responsibilities, and contribute to the Fraud, Error and Debt strategy.

Qualifications

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills essential for frontline fraud discussions.
• Ability to interview claimants and colleagues to verify information on-site.
• Willingness and ability to travel between sites as required.

Responsibilities

• Interview initial evidence and verification interviews with claimants and staff.
• Verify documents related to identification, housing costs, and childcare costs for Universal Credit claims.
• Conduct review meetings with customers when evidence is requested by the Enhanced Review Team.
• Provide regular feedback on fraud trends to risk and intelligence teams.

Skills

Communication skills

Job description

Verification Assurance Officer - North West and Wales

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a new and dynamic team which will introduce a Verification Assurance Officer (VAO) job role within selected Jobcentre and Service Centres.

The role will enable the VAO and Jobcentre colleagues to work together to identify and tackle fraud on the frontline, responding to potential fraud quickly and effectively at the outset. The aim is to prevent fraud entering the welfare system, reduce customer debt and to meet Fraud, Error and Debt strategy and strategic objectives.

As a VAO, you will help improve the verification processes by strengthening our fraud controls on the front line. You will support the prevention of intentional fraud entering the welfare system, while actively increasing customer engagement and knowledge, educating them on their responsibilities.

As a great communicator, you will also be responsible for raising Jobcentre colleagues' awareness of fraud and by providing practical support, making it clear that everyone has a responsibility to tackle fraud when they suspect it.

Due to the nature of the work, you will be required to carry out this role fully from a Jobcentre location, the critical part of the role will be interviewing claimants and collaborating with Jobcentre colleagues face-to-face, so hybrid and home working cannot be considered.

As a Verification Assurance Officer, your key tasks will be:

• Work closely with Jobcentre and Service Centre colleagues conducting initial evidence interviews, further evidence interviews and verification activities by integrating within those teams in the sites.
• Conduct robust interviews where a colleague has a suspicion on the validity of documents produced for verification of identification, housing costs, children and childcare costs elements of Universal Credit.
• Conduct review meetings with customers in scenarios where the Enhanced Review Team (ERT) and the customer have agreed to bring in evidence relating to their claim to a Jobcentre.
• Provide regular feedback at office meetings on trends, patterns of fraud, and how to detect them. Feed information intospecialist risk and intelligence teams within DWP.
• Lead customer education sessions jointly with Jobcentre colleagues to provide clarity on customer responsibilities and the consequences of non-compliance.
• Collate and maintain accurate Management Information (MI) as directed by analysts and performance teams.

Frequent travel between sites may be required depending on business needs.

Company: Government Recruitment Service
Salary: £32,700 to £32,700 a year
Hours: Full-time
Location: Accrington
Job type: Permanent
Posting date: 28 Oct 2026
Closing date: 10 Nov 2026

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

About Disability Confident

Disability Confident is a government scheme. It encourages employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term health conditions.