Income Officer LBS-008

· To be the first point of contact for tenants and their representatives in respect to all residential rent charges, arrears and queries.

· Negotiate repayment plans, determining which cases to escalate and take legal action on rather internally or through referrals to legal services.

· To be responsible for meeting targets and objectives which maximise rent collection, influencing monthly and annual collection performance and arrears reduction.

· To liaise and correspond with tenants, the court service, external solicitors, other tenant representatives, fraud and investigation services, representing the Council's interests and providing a professional and responsive service.

· To adopt and promote modern ways of working, embracing new technology which improves the customer experience whilst creating efficiencies.

· To ensuring the Council's reputation is protected and enhanced through a high quality, professional income collection service., 2.1. To ensure that customers are referred for debt counselling and welfare benefit advice and services that are appropriate to the customer needs and service requirements with a particular emphasis on assisting vulnerable tenants and/or signposting them to Local Support or external support agencies.

2.2. To take appropriate and timely action on rent arrears cases, closely monitoring and analysing accounts, working closely with relevant agencies and departments to provide sustainable and affordable debt repayments..

2.3. To agree arrears repayment plans after negotiating and evidencing a personal budgeting and affordability assessment with the tenant and their representatives. .

2.4. To refer tenants to Local Support for debt / money advice, maximising their income and benefits to pay their rent.

2.5. To take legal action against tenants who persistently breach their repayment agreements through serving of appropriate notices and following the legal process through to eviction.

2.6. To draft witness statements and prepare rent arrears cases for court which include, making applications for 6 year warrants, variation, stay, charging and restitution orders, re-entry and appeals.

2.7. To attend and represent the Council in Court presenting rent arrears cases and at all times adhering to court rules and protocols. Ensure complex cases are referred to Legal services with full information and supporting documentation.

2.8. To co-ordinate, attend and carry out all evictions scheduled on the grounds of rent arrears.

2.9. To develop joint working and relationships with other departments to improve the customer experience and help with resiloution of customer issues and complaints.

2.10. To liaise with Resident services to resolve tenancy issues that impact on rent collection such as illegal occupation, succession, fraud and property abandonment.

2.11. To operate and utilise systems for the administration of direct payments, for Universal Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support information.
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2.12. To contribute to local income management plans, support the Council's modernisation agenda, including new technologies and mobile working.

2.13. To ensure that the role is undertaken and carried out with due regard to equal opportunities policies, procedures and best practice.

Note:
The duties as listed above are not set out in order of priority, and other tasks commensurate with the grade of the post may be required of the post holder.

JOB CONTEXT

1. The post-holder will be required to work with a wide range of stakeholders, but in particular:

· Residents
· Area office staff
· Debt collection agencies
· Advice Agencies
· Housing Support staff, and social services staff.
· Other Council Departments
· Internal and external legal services including court system.

2. The post-holder will work directly with the public and have a high degree of awareness of equalities and diversity issues.

3. The post holder will work to the Revenues Team Leader - structure chart attached.

4. The Income Officer will have no direct reports., Experienced in the application of housing income collection procedures and policies.
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Experience of working in a performance management environment and experienced in the development and meeting of personal and team performance targets
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Aptitudes, Skills & Competencies:
Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
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Ability to understand, apply and effectively use legal processes.
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Negotiation and problem-solving skills
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Ability to use prepare and organise data for spreadsheets, manage and present numerical data
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Ability to draft correspondence, information and reports
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Effective numeracy skills.
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Special Conditions of Recruitment:
Comply with and promote the Council's Equal opportunities policy

Key: E Essential
S Shortlisting criteria
I Evaluated at interview

The role will be in the office, but can be negotiated

· Negotiate arrangements with tenants
· Support vulnerable tenants
· Escalate cases through the escalation process
· Contact tenants via phone, e-mail and letter
· Visit tenants in their home for support and try and establish engagement

The person specification is a picture of skills, knowledge and experience required to carry out the job., Knowledge of debt management procedures, including legal process, rent and service charge setting principles., Experience in a customer facing role, ideally in a social housing or income collection.