Housing Benefit Subsidy Officer

**Reference Number**: ECAN 04596

**Job type**: Customer Services

**Employment Contract**: Full Time - Permanent

**Salary**: £31,099 - £33,820

**Number of hours**: 37

**Location**: Torbay

**The key purposes of the job are**
- To support the Finance Systems Manager - Revenues & Benefits and the Revenues & Benefits Service Manager, to ensure controls and service improvements are developed and implemented, improving residents’ experience and safeguarding benefits subsidy, Council Tax Support expenditure and other discretionary funds administered by the Service.
- The post holder will provide the relevant information to enable the Revenues & Benefits Manager to evaluate financial performance, accuracy of processing and maximisation of income to the council.
- Responsible for the completion of the Housing Benefit subsidy return, the annual audit and providing the relevant information to any queries raised during the audit.
- To take responsibility for the timely and accurate completion of Benefits reporting including weekly performance reporting and all returns and related audit queries in relation to housing benefit subsidy (£45m).
- To provide advice to management on the impact of legislative changes relating to benefits and report on the practical effect of changes to council policies relating to the Revenue and Benefits system.

**The anticipated outcomes of this post are**
- Monitoring and control of benefit subsidies and the Council Tax Support Scheme.
- Support of the interpretation and implementation of system changes relating to the housing benefit guidance that will impact of over 12,000 benefit claimants resulting in the need for a high level of accuracy.
- The timely and accurate completion of the £45m housing benefit subsidy returns, based on accurate records that comply with the relevant guidance. This will enable a positive external audit certification of the subsidy claim.
- Integrity of the council’s subsidy claim, maximising income to the council, working with all partners such as internal and external audit

This post is historically office based at Tor Hill House, Torquay although changes to working from home practices may allow for permanent or hybrid home working.

**DBS disclosure is required for this job**

For an informal discussion please contact Kevin Michell on tel: 01803 207526]

Returned Applications

**Postal Address**

**Telephone Number**
- Torbay Council
- Recruitment - HR Support
- Town Hall
- Castle Circus
- Torquay
- Devon
- TQ1 3DR-
- 01803 207392