All Council posts are subject to National Joint Council (NJC) conditions of service.
Basildon Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults, and expects all employees, contractors and volunteers to share its commitment to prevent abuse, harm or exploitation.
Please note that the Council applies a robust recruitment vetting process.
Please note that this post is subject to Department of Works and Pensions (DWP), Protection of National Infrastructure conditions, which means that the post holder will be required to undergo further vetting processes to ensure compliance.
MAIN PURPOSE
This post holder supports the Revenues & Benefits Manager in all Housing Benefit subsidy and discretionary payment balancing matters for the shared Revenues and Benefits partnership, this includes the completion of initial testing and external auditor’s workbooks. The post holder is expected to provide relevant information to enable the Revenues & Benefits Manager to evaluate financial performance, accuracy of processing and maximisation of income to the Council
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Revenues and Benefits Service administers the billing and collection of Council Tax, Business Rates liabilities and corporate debt, the assessment of Housing Benefit and the Local Council Tax Support (LCTS) scheme. The Service is responsible for ensuring that benefits are paid timely and accurately and that the tax base is protected. The post holder must ensure integrity of the Councils subsidy claim, maximising income to the Council, working with all partners such as internal and external audit
All staff must be mindful of potential fraud and that suspected irregularities are referred for investigation in all cases.
A common factor in Revenues and Benefits services is that any member of staff may be called upon to act as a witness in proceedings in courts or tribunals to give factual evidence for all authorities in which it has acted for.
DUTIES
- The timely and accurate completion and presentation of returns relating to Housing Benefit subsidy and discretionary payments, to the Revenues & Benefits Manager
- To complete the initial testing of Housing Benefit Subsidy claims ensuring full liaison with internal audit and meeting agreed deadlines as set by the Revenues & Benefits Manager and internal audit
- To complete external auditor’s workbooks along with any additional testing, ensuring agreed deadlines are met. This includes explaining calculations, payments, adjustments and all relevant legislation relating to the subsidy claim
- To ensure that income from overpaid benefits and local authority error overpayments are maximised, making sure that thresholds are not exceeded and income generation is guaranteed for the Council, providing accurate reports to the Revenues & Benefits Manager
- Examine system generated reports to an agreed timetable, focussing on all subsidy areas where the loss of subsidy could be a risk to the Council, and for any risks and findings to be reported to the Revenues & Benefits Manager
- To monitor and balance monthly financial outputs between the Revenues & Benefits system and finance systems, providing accurate reports to the Revenues & Benefits Manager and to Finance
- From the subsidy claim and audits, report any identified assessment training issues to the services Senior Training Officer and Senior Billing & Benefits Officers
- To assist the Senior Training Officer to ensure there are comprehensive sets of procedures in place in respect of all areas of subsidy, including any changes in subsidy legislation
- To maintain an extensive knowledge of Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support legislation and a working knowledge of other supporting benefits. To interpret and implement legislation, statutory procedures and local requirements into service delivery ensuring that good working practices are fully documented and adopted by employees in line with best practice
- To have a sound knowledge of the Civica Open Revenues system and have a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
- You must ensure that you comply at all times with the General Data Protection Act, relating to personalinformation held by the Council. Any employee who misuses, accesses or discloses personal data relating to a living individual without checking that it is to be used for an authorised purpose relevant to the Authority, may be prosecuted in a Criminal Court, as well as facing disciplinary action
- Any other duties appropriate to the post: These other duties must be equivalent to or below the salary and status of the role and, where appropriate, under the Equality Act 2010, due consideration must be given to any employees with a “protected characteristic”
- Undertake all the duties within the framework of Equal Opportunities
- You must cooperate in all matters relating to Health and Safety and implement all procedures for your job role. The identification of Health and Safety related risks within the working environment must be highlighted to your management
