Legal Threshold Officer- Benefits and Homeless Prevention
Please apply online via the link provided.
Hackney is London's most diverse and dynamic borough. Stretching from the edge of the City, to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, it is an area of rapid economic growth, particularly in the tech, media, fashion and other creative industries. Hackney has more green space than any other inner London borough, some of the capital's best schools, and first class transport connections, which combined with excellent local public services and a thriving arts, cultural and retail sector, are fast making it one of London's most popular areas to live, work and visit. Our challenge is to make sure that our borough's economic growth provides benefits for everyone who lives here, and to create opportunities that will transform the lives of local people.
We know that staff are key to our success and we are seeking people with ambition, creativity and commitment to our values to help us achieve the best for the people of Hackney.
Our Benefits and Homeless Prevention Service has responsibility for all areas of homelessness; from rough sleeping to housing allocations as well as the assessment of Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction and the Here to Help Service. This innovative approach is helping us provide a more joined up service and more focused support for those in Hackney that are at risk of homelessness.
We are strengthening our Homeless Prevention Service with the addition of this new exciting role - Legal Threshold Officer. Two officers will be working across our Homeless Prevention Teams ensuring that at all stages of the process - from the point of first contact to main duty decisions, homelessness legal tests are applied correctly by our staff so that those residents who really need our help can receive it as quickly as possible.
The officers will also be working closely with our lawyers in our Legal Department to ensure that we are responding to threats of Judicial Review robustly and providing similar information and advice to our Corporate Complaints Team to respond to LGSC Ombudsman homelessness enquiries.
Working collaboratively and in a non judgemental way to foster learning and expert level knowledge amongst staff is key. Enabling and empowering staff and residents alike to work towards the most realistic housing solutions whilst ensuring value for money for the Council.
The ability to make decisions in a timely manner, often under pressure and responding to short notice enquiries is crucial.
Hackney is one of the most dynamic and progressive local authorities in the UK. We are a resilient, vibrant, and creative borough in the heart of London, with strong, diverse communities and a powerful set of shared values.
But the work doesn’t stop there, we are proactive in our approach to bringing fairness to all aspects of life including gender, neurodiversity and across the poverty divide.
As a Council, our most outstanding asset is our staff, who are highly dedicated to serving our residents and committed to our goals as an organisation.
If you want to work in a place where you can represent our values so we achieve the best for our residents, please click on the apply button below.
We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Therefore, we do not accept supporting statements or CV’s.
To proceed with your application, you will need to create an account and submit your application.
As part of the application process, you will need to complete a number of competency based questions. These questions allow you to demonstrate your suitability for the role and provide examples of your skills, knowledge and experience outlined in the job description.
We understand the benefits of using AI in the workplace. However, if you are thinking of using this tool to submit your application, we ask you to think about what value it will add. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.
Closing date for applications: 01 July 2025 (22.59)
Interview and assessment date: W/C 14 July 2025
We are also working towards our vision, which is to be a place for everyone; where residents and staff can be proud; a place that celebrates diversity and where everyone can feel valued, included and involved. In order to achieve this, we look for people who are: Proud; Ambitious; Pioneering; Open; Proactive; Inclusive.
Hackney Council works to eradicate discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.We also recognise that people can be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will also work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class. We also welcome those interested in flexible working. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people, as this group is currently under represented in our workforce.
The Council has a dedicated employment support service (Hackney Works), which offers Hackney residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you are thinking about applying for a job, please contact the Hackney Works team to find out what support is available: hackneyworks@hackney.gov.uk
Salary range
- £47,628 - £49,638 per year