Senior Benefits Officer

TAMWORTH BOROUGH COUNCIL FINANCE Senior Benefits Officer £39,862 - £42,839 per annum Home working contract 37 hours per week Permanent

Located in the heart of Staffordshire, Tamworth is a vibrant and well connected borough with a rich heritage and a growing population of over 77,000. With strong transport links, an evolving town centre, green spaces, leisure and cultural attractions, it is a great place to live and work. Exciting times lie ahead as the Council delivers major transformation, including multi million pound investment such as the Future High Street Fund, helping to restore the town centre as a thriving community hub. Working for Tamworth Borough Council means making a real difference for local people, as part of a skilled and ambitious workforce supported to do its best in a positive and empowering environment.

We are recruiting a Senior Benefits Officer to join our high performing Revenues & Benefits Service. This is a specialist role responsible for the accurate administration of Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, and Crisis and Resilience Housing Payments, supporting some of the most vulnerable residents in our community.

To be successful, you must bring proven experience in Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction assessment, strong analytical skills, and the ability to interpret complex legislation with accuracy. We are seeking applicants who can contribute quickly and confidently within a fast paced, highly regulated environment.

Responsibilities

• Ensure the Benefits Team verify, assess and determine Housing Benefit/Council Tax Reduction claims in accordance with legislation, case law and local policy.
• Supervise the team of Benefit Advisors, authorise leave, arrange rota's, provide statistical management reports.
• Contribute to the preparation and development of relevant Strategies, Policies and delivery/action plans.
• Assist in ensuring that the administration of the Local Authority Benefits function is managed / undertaken to accepted professional standards.
• Ensure that work is undertaken across service areas and the organisation to ensure the efficient and effective delivery of services and corporate projects.
• Assist in the preparation and dispatch of annual benefit notifications etc.
• Assist the annual subsidy return and ensure it is completed to the agreed standards and timescale. Contribute to the development and implementation of annual service plans.
• Represent the council at external meetings and appeals as required.
• Deputise for the Benefits Manager as required.

Qualifications and Requirements

The successful candidate will have a minimum of 3 GCSEs grade A-C, or equivalent and be I.T. literate.

This is a home working contract, and the majority of duties will be carried out at home, however, employees will be contractually required to attend site on two days per month for team meetings, 121 meetings, etc. Employees may also be required to attend a site for meetings, collaborative work or to undertake work related activities. Site attendance will constitute no more than 40% of working time and includes the contractual 2 days per month.

Benefits

We have an extensive benefits package including flexible working, a non contributory health scheme, Local Government pension scheme, generous holiday entitlement, discounted gym membership, and payment of professional fees (where applicable).

Additional Information

Appointment will be subject to satisfactory references, right to work in the UK check, medical clearance and DBS check.

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Michael Buckland, Head of Revenues and Benefits 709523 or Christine Roe, Benefits Manager 709478.

Late applications and/or CVs will not be accepted. Agencies need not apply.

Closing date: 30 April 2026

Interviews: 14 May 2026

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Tamworth Borough Council is proud to be an Equal Opportunities Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

We operate two guaranteed interview schemes which support individuals who meet all the essential criteria to be guaranteed an interview for a vacancy. The Disability Committed Employer scheme supports applicants with a disability and the Veterans Guaranteed interview scheme supports those defined as veterans, military spouses/partners and cadet instructors.

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS checks are required for relevant posts.

We are committed to ensuring that people are not disadvantaged in accessing our services. We will make reasonable adjustments for those people that need further assistance, depending on the individual's needs, further guidance can be found in our Reasonable Adjustments guidance Equality and diversity Tamworth Borough Council.

Public facing roles are covered by the Fluency Duty as outlined in section 78 of the Immigration Act 2016, to serve the public it is vital that those working in public facing roles can communicate in English with members of the public receiving local authority services.