Assistant Finance Officer – Housing Benefit Overpayment

Location: Ferndale

Are you an experienced Assistant Finance Officer, Finance Officer or Debt Recovery Officer with recent local authority experience? We are recruiting two Assistant Finance Officers to join a busy Exchequer Services team, supporting Housing Benefit Overpayment recovery and Adult Social Care debt recovery on a long-term contract.

About the Role

This role is ideal for candidates with strong experience in local authority finance, council debt recovery, Housing Benefit Overpayment, Adult Social Care finance, or exchequer services. You will manage recovery activity, resolve customer and stakeholder queries, maintain accurate financial records and support compliant, customer-focused debt recovery within a team environment.

Key Responsibilities

Manage Housing Benefit Overpayment, Adult Social Care debt, or local authority debt-recovery caseloads independently.

Provide a proactive, customer-focused exchequer service to council service areas, suppliers and customers.

Resolve financial queries, payment disputes, repayment issues and recovery enquiries professionally.

Maintain accurate finance records, transaction details, account notes and audit trails in line with council procedures.

Liaise with customers, internal teams, partner organisations, the Department for Work and Pensions and enforcement agents.

Support customers and end users with finance processes, repayment arrangements, recovery action and account queries.

Contribute to financial reporting, debt recovery updates and management information as required.

About You

The successful candidates will have recent experience in local government, council finance, or public-sector debt recovery, and the confidence to manage sensitive financial matters professionally. You should be organised, customer-focused and able to make accurate recovery decisions in line with legislation, policy and procedure.

Essential Experience

Minimum of three years' recent local authority, council or public sector experience in Housing Benefit Overpayment recovery or Adult Social Care debt recovery.

Proven experience managing a Housing Benefit Overpayment caseload, Adult Social Care debt portfolio, financial assessment debt or care charge recovery work independently.

Strong knowledge of Housing Benefit legislation, over payment recovery regulations, recovery procedures and appropriate debt recovery action.

Experience recovering charges linked to financial assessments, care charges, deferred payment agreements or Adult Social Care finance accounts.

Experience liaising with customers, appointees, representatives, DWP, enforcement agents, partner organisations and internal council departments.

Experience supporting vulnerable customers and handling sensitive financial conversations in a professional, compliant and customer-focused way.

Essential Skills

Strong Understanding of Housing Benefit Overpayment recovery methods, including PDP, DEA and BTR.

Ability to assess customer circumstances, review account information and make accurate policy-led recovery decisions.

Excellent customer service, communication, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.

Confidence managing challenging conversations, repayment discussions, recovery queries and vulnerable customer cases.

Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise caseloads, deadlines and competing debt recovery tasks.

Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office, housing benefit systems, revenues systems, finance systems or case management systems.

Basic DBS clearance is required for this Assistant Finance Officer role.

Qualifications

A professional qualification is not essential. Candidates studying towards a relevant finance, revenues, benefits or debt recovery qualification would be advantageous.

Why Apply?

This long-term Assistant Finance Officer contract offers a competitive hourly rate, the opportunity to work with a respected local authority, and the chance to apply your experience in Housing Benefit Overpayment, Adult Social Care debt recovery, and finance in a busy environment.

How to Apply

If you are an experienced Assistant Finance Officer, Finance Officer, Debt Recovery Officer, Housing Benefit Overpayment Officer or Adult Social Care Debt Recovery Officer with recent local authority experience, apply today with your up-to-date CV. Early applications are encouraged, as suitable candidates may be contacted quickly.

Diamond Blaque is acting as the employment agency for this vacancy. We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates