Housing Benefit Subsidy and Systems Specialist

Working on behalf of a Local Authority, Aatom Recruitment has an opportunity for a Housing Benefit Subsidy and Systems Specialist on a 3 months contract with the possibility of an extension.

Key Objectives of the role:

The post has lead responsibility for the client’s statutory subsidy reporting requirements and for monitoring and proactively managing Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support expenditure; safeguarding and maximising benefit subsidy; identifying and managing the risks associated with this and proactively developing policies and procedures that support subsidy optimisation, while ensuring compliance with all new and existing legislation. To be responsible for all matters connected with Welfare ICT systems administration, system upgrades and software testing for all systems used in the Welfare Service. To collate and present Welfare Statistics and performance data.

Daily and Monthly responsibilities:

• To maintain a comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge and understanding of the principles and procedures of benefits administration and performance recording;
• To lead on End of Year processes, including updating systems and awarding entitlements;
• Timely and accurate completion, submission, and verification by external audit of all returns relating to the annual subsidy claim;
• Timely and accurate completion and submission of all returns relating to the annual Discretionary Housing Payment, Housing Benefit overpayments and any other statutory returns and funding measures;
• Produce and examine regular quality control, monitoring, and exception reports to protect the Welfare Service from loss of subsidy;
• Scrutinise performance data from extracts and reports ensuring that appropriate information is recorded and validated;
• Monitor financial output from the benefits system to ensure data for subsidy purposes balances and evidence is available for audit purposes;
• Reconcile manual adjustments and discrepancies for annual subsidy claim;
• Ensure financial controls are reconciled, including payments and subsidy claims;
• Act as lead officer for DWP external systems including EAS and Searchlight, completing BPSS checks and administering the system;
• Liaise, closely with internal and external stakeholders such as IT, internal and external audit and system account managers and software providers;
• Maintain and update the online functions within the service including online application software and webpages.

Requirements:

• A good level of education to include Maths at GCSE Grade C or equivalent;
• Detailed knowledge of Housing Benefit Regulations 2006;
• Experience of working in a benefit or subsidy-based environment;
• Detailed knowledge of Housing Benefit subsidy rules and classifications;
• Knowledge of local council tax schemes, discounts, liabilities and exemptions;
• Ability to manage and prioritise a varied case load of work;
• Experience of direct work with internal and external auditors;
• A highly developed ability to solve wicked problems and identify opportunities to prevent them;
• Highly developed awareness of risk in a Housing Benefit environment around subsidy and end of year processes;
• Experience of running Year end and subsidy claim using Northgate software;
• Experience of using a benefit assessment system such as Northgate, Capita;
• Civica Experience of implementing new software in a benefit service;
• Experience of implementing software patches and releases using Northgate software;
• Experience of undertaking quality assurance work on benefit assessments and overpayments;
• Experience writing content for the web and designing online application forms;
• Experience of Northgate systems administration including reports and data collection;
• Detailed knowledge of completing HB subsidy claim;
• Experience of completing stat returns including HBDR.

If this sounds like an exciting opportunity for you, please contact Pocholo.