Benefits Officer - Apprentice Merton, East of England, England
Job description
Merton Salary Grade £25,629-£26,913 per annum - Fixed Term 2 years
Advert Text
Do you want to make a difference to the finances of Merton's residents? Do you care about great customer service and doing your best for them. Do you want to earn whilst you learn and gain a valuable qualification?
About the role
Based in the Civic Centre in Morden, Merton Benefits Service provides support and assistance to Merton residents who need help to pay their Council Tax and rent. We also provide a much valued Welfare Benefits advice service. Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support are means tested benefits which are available to residents on low incomes. From April 2024, working age customers will move from Housing Benefit to Universal Credit. Merton will however, continue to assess claims for Housing Benefit from those in temporary and supported accommodation and pensioners.
We have an exciting opportunity for 2 people to join our experienced team as apprentices. Your role will mainly focus on the Council Tax Support and Housing Benefit services, but you will also gain valuable knowledge about the recovery of Council Tax and national welfare benefits, such as Universal Credit, as well as the Council's own Local Welfare Support Scheme. You will be expected to commit to the I.R.R.V Level 4 Welfare Benefits Practitioner qualification and this course will run for about 12-13 months.
You will assess claims for Council Tax Support and Housing Benefit. There will also be the opportunity to use your skills in advising residents about their entitlement to welfare benefits and to work with the Local Welfare Support team and other departments in the Council, who are delivering the Council's Cost of Living emergency support. You'll also spend some of your time learning about Council Tax and Business Rates.
About you
You will be a self-motivated individual with an eye for detail, an interest in welfare benefits, and a flexible and adaptable attitude. You must have the ability to study for the I.R.R.V qualification. If you are someone who:
- has a professional attitude and a passion for providing excellent customer service;
- a desire to support those people in our community when they most need it;
- relishes working in a challenging, exciting environment;
- is willing to engage and contribute fully to the success of the service as it continues to develop;
- is able to work on your own initiative and as part of a highly skilled team;
- is willing to go the extra mile for our residents,
we would be interested to hear from you.
What we offer
Please see our why work for us page on our website for more information about a great range of benefits that go beyond salary and offer flexibility to suit you.
For more information or any questions about this role please contact our Rebecca Dodd, Head of Benefits - [email protected]
