Verification Assurance Officer - Southern

Government Recruitment Service; Hastings; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Government Recruitment Service is recruiting a Verification Assurance Officer (VAO) to join a new team across Jobcentre and Service Centres in Hastings. The role focuses on identifying and tackling fraud at the frontline, preventing fraud from entering the welfare system and helping to reduce customer debt.

You will conduct robust interviews, verify documents for identification and housing costs, and educate claimants on their responsibilities and non-compliance consequences.

Responsibilities

• Conduct initial and verification-focused interviews with claimants and Jobcentre colleagues.
• Verify documents related to identification, housing costs, children and childcare costs within Universal Credit.
• Lead review meetings when evidence is requested by Enhanced Review Team and customers.
• Provide feedback on fraud trends at office meetings and collaborate with risk and intelligence teams.

Job description

Verification Assurance Officer - Southern

Company: Government Recruitment Service Salary: £32,137 to £32,137 a year Hours: Full-time Location: Hastings Job type: Permanent Posting date: 14 Oct 2026 Closing date: 27 Oct 2026

Summary

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 be 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.

Key tasks

• 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 into specialist 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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