Interim Housing Benefit Subsidy & Systems Specialist

Reference no:  Bracknell RQ846164

Pay Rate: £26.00 per hour PAYE 

This opening assignment is for 3 months

Enhanced DBS disclosure is listed as a requirement for this role

The post holder will have lead responsibility for the Council’s statutory subsidy reporting requirements  and for monitoring and proactively managing Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support expenditure; safeguarding and maximising benefit subsidy; identifying and managing the risks associated with this and proactively developing policies and procedures that support subsidy optimisation, while ensuring compliance with all new and existing legislation.

Key Responsibilities:

• To maintain a comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge and understanding of the principles and procedures of benefits administration and performance recording.
• To lead on End of Year processes, including updating systems and awarding entitlements.
• Timely and accurate completion, submission, and verification by external audit of all returns relating to the annual subsidy claim.
• Timely and accurate completion and submission of all returns relating to the annual Discretionary Housing Payment, Housing Benefit overpayments and any other statutory returns and funding measures.
• Produce and examine regular quality control, monitoring, and exception reports to protect the Welfare Service from loss of subsidy.
• Scrutinise performance data from extracts and reports ensuring that appropriate information is recorded and validated.
• Monitor financial output from the benefits system to ensure data for subsidy purposes balances and evidence is available for audit purposes.
• Reconcile manual adjustments and discrepancies for annual subsidy claim.
• Ensure financial controls are reconciled, including payments and subsidy claims.
• Act as lead officer for DWP external systems including EAS and Searchlight, completing BPSS checks and administering the system.
• Liaise, closely with internal and external stakeholders such as IT, internal and external audit and system account managers and software providers.
• Maintain and update the online functions within the service including online application software and webpages.

“Role Requirements” – to give yourself the maximum chance of success please try and ensure your CV addresses the following essential criteria:

Qualifications:

1. Minimum GCSE level English and Maths or equivalent through relevant experience/training.
2. IRRV qualification desirable.

Skills & Experience:

1. Minimum of 12 months recent experience in a similar role, or context and ideally within a public sector organisation.
2. Detailed knowledge of Housing Benefit Regulations 2006.
3. Experience of working in a benefit or subsidy-based environment.
4. Detailed knowledge of Housing Benefit subsidy rules and classifications.
5. Knowledge of local council tax schemes, discounts, liabilities and exemptions.
6. Ability to manage and prioritise a varied case load of work.
7. Experience of direct work with internal and external auditors.
8. A highly developed ability to solve wicked problems and identify opportunities to prevent them.
9. Highly developed awareness of risk in a Housing Benefit environment around subsidy and end of year processes.
10. Understanding of and commitment to the requirements of safeguarding children, young people, vulnerable adults and promoting their welfare.
11. ICT Skills: Strong IT skills including Microsoft packages or equivalent (e.g. G Suite).

NB: Please feel free to apply to us direct via [email protected] by quoting the job reference and job title exactly. SEE DETAILS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS AD.

If you have previously applied to one of our vacancies and have already sent the required supporting documentation to us, please make this clear when you re-apply as this will help speed up your application.

To help speed up the process of uploading your CV to the client we would suggest that you send us your CV in Word format (or equivalent) if possible, rather than as a PDF

If you are successful in securing this role, please note that for the entire duration of this contract, regardless of extension you will be working this role at the PAYE rate that has been advertised. For absolute clarity, we only work on a PAYE basis, rather than entertaining umbrella pay terms, we do not offer Ltd/umbrella or outside IR35 rates. If you wish to understand PAYE vs Umbrella more, please let us know and we can send you some additional information for clarity.