Welfare Officer

About this job

You will be contributing to the provision of a quality Welfare service.

You will be assessing and processing applications for Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support, Educational Benefit applications and relevant Council Tax Discounts and discretionary support.

Giving advice and guidance to customers claiming Benefits, Council Tax Support or Discretionary Support provided by the authority and for all streams or revenue collection including but not limited to Council Tax, Housing Benefit Overpayments and Rents.

You will support the authority to promote financial resilience and independence for customers within the borough by providing welfare benefits advice, inclusive of welfare reform and welfare benefits case work. Support, and make on behalf of the residents, applications being made in respect of any relevant benefits and/or discounts offered by the services.

Special requirements for this post

Subject to a DBS Check to meet Department of Work and Pensions Mandatory Compliance.

About you

You will be required to have an ability to negotiate, convince and influence whilst remaining clear and courteous under sometimes difficult circumstances. You will also understand where a person requires further support or advice to ensure their longer-term financial sustainability and wellbeing and be able to effectively sign-post or refer cases, working with other departments and partners.

You will be able to differentiate between those avoiding payment & change and those who may require assistance to improve their income and standards of living. Ensuring customers entitled to support such as benefits are advised and signposted to the relevant internal and external departments.

You will bring enthusiasm, resilience and determination coupled with the positive disposition to succeed. You will work effectively and positively as part of a team always seeking ways to improve performance with the ability to take direction.

We are also seeking someone with a good grasp of IT and the ability to use a variety of wider technological platforms including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint.

About us

Barking & Dagenham is changing. It Starts Here.

Think you know Barking and Dagenham? Think again. While this small corner of east London might have a reputation for needing development, scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find active communities and a place that consistently punches above its weight. The borough is changing – and changing for the better. And It Starts Here.

Yes, the borough has its challenges. But it’s on the cusp of something exciting. With one of the youngest populations in the country, ambitions are high and rightly so. 98% of our schools are rated Good or Outstanding and every year more of our talented teenagers get into Russell Group Universities and hotly sought after apprenticeship schemes.

We have award winning parks, centuries old manor houses full of relics and artifacts you can go and see, and the ruins of one of Anglo-Saxon England's most powerful and wealthiest religious sites. We’re even bringing beavers and white storks to the borough to help rewild the local landscape and boost biodiversity.

Over the past few years, we’ve been working hard to improve how we deliver services and support our community. From tackling inequality to making sure our services are the best they can be, we’re focused on what matters most to local people.

We’re creating the conditions for people to thrive - so everyone can enjoy a good quality of life, feel proud to call this place home, and be part of something bigger.

#ItStartsHere - with our streets, our schools, our neighbourhoods. And with your application to join our determined team who are passionate about doing what’s best for the future of Barking and Dagenham.

As an Investors in People Gold Award employer, we’re serious about supporting our staff. From flexible working, professional training and career development to wellbeing initiatives, we want our people to feel valued and supported in everything they do.

Our values, known as

• DRIVE, shape how we work: Deliver our best every day – and do what we promise
• Respond in a prompt, positive way to our community’s needs
• Inspire others with our attitudes and actions
• Value people for who they are and what they can do
• Engage with others to improve our resilience and flexibility We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences.

We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences.

Additional Information

Passionate, dedicated, making a difference – then come and work with us!

Over the past ten years, we have gone through an ambitious Transformation Programme and have built a new kind of council, capable of delivering real change with our community in the twenty-first century. Although a lot of things have changed, there is still more to do & Welfare is part of that journey.

You will be joining a fast paced, effective, proactive & collaborative team who all work towards shared goals and believe in what we do. We believe in growth, learning & development and improvements that enhance our service & how we deliver it as well as self development.

In addition to this, we offer a competitive pay package, a positive approach to flexible working, investment in your learning and development as well as a commitment to your wellbeing. Our staff benefits includes a generous annual leave entitlement, LG pension scheme, learning & development, flexible working, employee support, support groups and "Wider Wallet" scheme which enable staff to access discounts on many high street stores and local businesses and save money on theme parks, theatre, cinema and eating out. There are also travel and holiday discounts and health plans.

Our DRIVE Values:

DELIVER our best every day - and do what we've promised

RESPOND in a prompt positive way to our community's needs

INSPIRE others with our attitude and actions

VALUE people for who they are and what they can do

ENGAGE with others to improve our resilience and flexibility