Disability Benefits Officer - SO2

Job Category : Revenues / Benefits
Location : Hackney Service Centre, Hackney Council
Hours Per Week : 36.00
Start Date : Immediate Start
Start Time : 09:00
End Time : 17:00
Salary: £20.06

The Money Hub was launched on 1st November 2022 and is an ever growing team of 20 brilliant staff, with a mix of frontline and strategic officers. The team was funded by the Council’s Benefits and Housing Needs service and the NHS, via a grant from the Integrated care Service. It sits alongside a wider raft of measures which the Council is taking to support our communities, businesses and staff with the cost of living crisis. The dedicated Hackney Money Hub team are working in new and bold ways to streamline and simplify the way that our residents can get assistance with their finances, with a huge emphasis on using data to reach out to residents we know are struggling to help them to maximise their incomes.
Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

1. To have and maintain a detailed working knowledge of law, practice, council policy and guidance relating to:
   ⦁ Personal Independence Payments o Disability Living Allowance o Severe Disability Premium o Carers Allowance
   ⦁ Attendance Allowance
   ⦁ Other disability benefits for carers
   And have experience with completing these forms on behalf of clients.
2. To have and maintain a detailed working knowledge of law, practice, council policy and guidance relating to other financial support, such as:
   ⦁ Housing Benefit
   ⦁ Council Tax Benefit and Council Tax Reduction
   ⦁ Housing o Welfare Reform o Tenancy o Lettings o Benefits advice o Debt and money management o Income maximisation o Security of tenure
   ⦁ Discretionary schemes: DHP, HDCSS and CTRHDS o East London sub-region and Pan London region
3. Ability to manage own workload and manage conflicting priorities in a pressurised working environment that are subject to frequently changing circumstances in order to achieve targets within challenging timescales.
4. Good organisational skills and the ability to prioritise your workload to deliver to tight deadlines, targets and performance standards.
5. Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills and the ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences including partner services and agencies and the ability to explain complex processes in simple language.
6. Experience of customer service; in dealing with people on the telephone and in person
7. Experience of effective partnership working with agencies and stakeholders and the proven ability in engaging, negotiating and consulting with a wide range of audiences.
8. Ability to exercise good judgement.
9. Experience of reflective practice and peer support.
   10.Comfortable with change, welcoming it as an opportunity to grow.
   11.Ability to look positively for solutions rather than obstacles.
   12.Ability to travel around the borough in order to attend community events.
   13.Experience of working flexibly to meet the needs of the service and its customers.
   14.Experience of assisting vulnerable and challenging customers.
   15.Ability to mediate and negotiate effectively.
   16.Experience of dealing with and advising customers in a user-centred manner.
   17.Ability to adapt to new legislative, technological and financial developments whilst maintaining services outcomes in periods of change
   18.Ability to analyse and understand complex information.
   19.Experience of building positive relationships with a range of both internal and external customers and stakeholders.
   20.Experience of cross-organisational working, taking into account the views of others and arriving at solutions of mutual benefit.
   21.Be available to work outside normal working hours including at weekends if required
   22.Must demonstrate an understanding and be committed to the Council’s Equalities policy carrying out all duties with regard to the policy.
   23.Must demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of the importance of confidentiality.
   24.Must demonstrate an ability to carry out research independently using electronic communication systems and other sources of relevant information.
   25.Experience in or ability to learn digital tools such as the LIFT dashboard to identify residents in or near financial hardship through a data-driven approach.
   26.Ability to work on projects and contribute to shared outcomes.
   27.Officers involved with Benefits and discretionary awards processing will comply with the required security checks for the Department for Work and Pensions and Cabinet Office.
   28.Officers will be required to complete a declaration of interests’ submission for this post.