Income Collection Officer

Pinnacle Group provides people-first, integrated services across a range of community-facing assets and infrastructure - including multi-tenure housing, schools, open spaces, public buildings, utilities and broadband networks - as well as a range of complementaryemployment and wellbeing outcomes. Across the UK, Pinnacle supports over 300,000 homes, 200 schools and 80 public buildings creating value, providing stewardship and generating positive outcomes for our customers, our partners and our clients.

Our Homes business serves communities by providing trusted housing management solutions. We take a collaborative and commercially minded, yet socially principled approach across our portfolio of Affordable, Private Rented and Leasehold properties.

**The Role - Income Collection Officer**

The main purpose of the role is to undertake a range of income collection duties relating to rent and service charge income; to provide a coordinated, flexible, and effective income collection service.

You will be responsible for achieving and maintaining lowest possible levels of current rent and former tenancy arrears and ensure we maximise income recovery. You will be guided by the PFI Income Manager and work with the housing management team to ensuredelivery of the arrear’s targets.

**Duties/Key Responsibilities**
- To ensure that excellent customer service standards are achieved, and core business objectives and performance indicators are met.
- To carry out all tasks in accordance with the Councils policies and procedures
- To be responsible for achieving individual targets and contributing to overall targets for the income service
- To effectively reduce all accounts in arrears to meet monthly targets. This will include producing arrears reports and letters, communicating with residents and drafting instructions for legal possession proceedings, serving Notices, home visits, applyingfor direct payments, attending court on behalf of the Council and providing appropriate advice and support to enable residents to sustain their tenancies
- To identify residents requiring specialist welfare benefit or financial inclusion advice and make referrals to the Welfare Advice & Financial Inclusion Officer
- To communicate and liaise effectively with the Local Authority regarding Housing Benefit claims, with the DWP regarding Universal Credit claims, with social services and any other relevant agencies
- To respond to arrears correspondence and provide information in an appropriate format to the Income Manager or Contract Manager to enable replies to formal complaints concerning rent arrears
- To attend meetings as requested by the Income and Contract Managers
- To work effectively and efficiently, planning your own workload to ensure accounts are monitored on a weekly basis, to ensure targets are met. Work with the Income team and Income Manager to identify where improvements can be made and with colleagues toachieve organisation priorities and quality services.
- Ensure record keeping is up to date and all recovery action and correspondence are recorded on the appropriate housing management system
- Effective use of IT equipment and software including housing and property management software
- This role may include working from home and other offices as determined by the Income Manager or Head of Income & Performance

**Skills**
- Experienced in using Capita Academy housing management system. Understanding of the legal framework for housing and Pre-Action Protocols
- Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of welfare benefits specifically Universal Credit and Housing Benefit
- experience working in rent income collection for a housing association or local authority
- Able to communicate clearly (written and oral)
- Good numerical and reporting skills
- Strong team player
- Customer focussed
- Ability to work on own initiative
- Self-motivated
- Strong negotiating skills