Verification Assurance Officer - North West and Wales

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

Job summary

Government Recruitment Service in Blackpool, North West and Wales, is seeking a Verification Assurance Officer to join a new frontline team. The role focuses on preventing fraud entering the welfare system by conducting rigorous verification interviews and educating claimants and staff about responsibilities.

Based on a permanent, full-time contract, the VAO will work on-site at Jobcentre locations, coordinating with colleagues and specialist teams to strengthen fraud controls and meet strategic

Responsibilities

• Conduct initial evidence interviews and verification activities with Jobcentre and Service Centre colleagues.
• Conduct robust interviews where there is suspicion on the validity of documents for verification of identification, housing costs, and childcare elements of Universal Credit.
• Lead customer education sessions with Jobcentre colleagues to explain responsibilities and 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.

Job description

Verification Assurance Officer - North West and Wales

Company: Government Recruitment Service

Salary: £32,700 to £32,700 a year

Hours: Full-time

Location: Blackpool

Job type: Permanent

Posting date: 28 Oct 2026

Closing date: 10 Nov 2026

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.

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