Revenues and Welfare Benefits Apprentice

Successful candidates will be working in a team within Revenue and Benefits and will be provided with thorough training which will help them acquire the skills and knowledge to enable them to successfully fill posts within a revenues and benefit environment. At the conclusion of the training successful candidates will be able to assist the Council in performing functions such as,

• Billing, collection and enforcement of Council Tax and Non-Domestic Rates.
• Assessment and administration Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, Discretionary Awards
• Adult Social Care financial assessments.
• Collection and recovery of Housing Benefit overpayments and other sundry debts.
• Inspection of residential and commercial premises.
• Liaison and communication with residents and other stakeholders.
• Answering enquiries from customers in writing, on the telephone and in person.
• Supporting colleagues throughout the Council to enable them to work efficiently.
• Assisting officers attending Magistrates Court, County Court and Tribunals., Communicate with residents / service users and stakeholders appropriately to gather information and provide explanations of often complex matters.
• Prompt and accurate payment of Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support and Discretionary Housing Payment awards
• Minimise losses to the Council's benefits subsidy
• Government changes to Welfare Benefits and Universal Credit understood and implemented
• Recover overpaid Housing Benefit and Sundry Debts at the earliest point in time
• Financial Assessments carried out for residents in receipt of Adult Social Care
  
  Demonstrate the ability to read and understand complex legislation and written procedures and policies which will be evidenced in part by a minimum of 5 Grade C/4 or above GCSE
• Have a qualification in maths and English at Grade C/4 or above GCSE's or Level 2 Functional Skills in Maths and English
• Demonstrate the ability to organise and prioritise a challenging and varied workload and know when to approach colleagues for assistance.
• Demonstrate a basic understanding of the importance of the services provided by local authority including the ways in which these services are funded
Terms and conditions: Satisfactory employment references and CIFAS identity checks; This role is subject to safer recruitment practices as it can involve work with vulnerable adults; Satisfactory DBS check; As a public authority, we must ensure that members of staff in public-facing roles are able to speak fluent English. This means that they must have a command of spoken English, with confidence and accuracy, sufficient for the effective performance of their role. This requirement does not refer to any particular English language qualifications, regional or international accents, dialects, speech impediments or the tone of conversations. It does not require staff to speak only in English.

Bursting with culture, energy, and opportunity, the London Borough of Waltham Forest is a fantastic and exciting place to work. We are a highly ambitious borough. Driven by culture and the innate creativity of our residents, we have developed new and innovative ways to build our communities. Our Council is relentlessly resident-focused, insight-led, digitally driven and commercially minded; a Council focused on meeting the needs of our existing and future residents. London Borough of Waltham Forest is one of the Mayor of London's Good Work Standard employers. This accreditation is a proof of our commitment to creating a healthy, fair and inclusive workplace. This includes fair pay and conditions, workplace well-being, skills and progression and diversity and recruitment., Waltham Forest is a diverse borough where diversity is valued and is integral to both, service delivery and employment of its staff. The Council is proud of its rich mix of communities and as the largest employer in the area, it works hard to respond to the changing needs of its population. We use our statutory duties on race, gender and disability equality and best practice in respect of age, faith and sexual orientation to ensure equality of opportunity in the workplace. The Council is committed to meeting its 4 equality objectives: - Promoting equality of opportunity - Opposing all forms of discrimination, intolerance and disadvantage - Ensuring our workforce reflects the diverse communities of Waltham Forest at all levels. - Providing fair, appropriate, accessible and excellent Services to all. Respecting Diversity is a core Council value. To support the above and reduce the risk of bias in its recruitment activities, the council is operating an anonymous shortlisting process, which hides personal information that can identify individuals until their application has been considered for shortlisting. The council also operates a scheme whereby, for jobs graded up to and including scale SO2, internal candidates are considered first. This includes those candidates who self-identify as having a disability for the purposes of the Disability Confident scheme. For more information, please refer to our recruitment and selection policy. We are keen to support employees to balance their working life with other commitments. Therefore, wherever possible, we will consider working arrangements that suit an individual's personal circumstances whilst still meeting the needs of the Council. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below or feel free to discuss this during your interview.