Benefits and Housing Needs Officer – Income Collection

12 Month Fixed Term Contract / Secondment Opportunity

Hackney is one of the most dynamic and progressive local authorities in the UK. We are a resilient, vibrant, and creative borough in the heart of London, with strong, diverse communities and a powerful set of shared values.

Over the past twenty years, the Council has built up first-class services, outstanding public infrastructure, and a reputation for excellence, innovation, and ambition. We are leading the way on essential work, such as our fight for equity in Hackney, with a particular focus on becoming an actively anti-racist borough. But the work doesn’t stop there, we are proactive in our approach to bringing fairness to all aspects of life, including gender, neurodiversity and across the poverty divide.

The post is within the Benefits and Homeless Prevention Service. The service is high-performing and committed to helping residents and the challenges they face, while supporting staff to perform to the service’s high standards.

The London Borough of Hackney has one of the highest Housing Benefit caseloads in London and receives, on average, nearly 4,000 homelessness approaches a year. To meet these demands, the service has been innovative, agile, and constantly improving in its aim to be a leader in this field.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and customer focused Benefits and Housing Needs Officer focused on Income Collection to join our team. You will have extensive experience in collecting and recovering payments from households. This work will enable residents to better sustain their temporary placements, deal with debts and navigate the cost of living crisis and assist them to move to secure accommodation.

Requirements for this role
– Responsible for managing a caseload of temporary accommodation accounts to ensure that all monies owed in respect of accommodation and service charges are collected as efficiently as possible
– Deliver excellent customer service by addressing inquiries in person, via phone, or in writing, while focusing on income maximisation.
– Conduct visits to clients in their accommodation to discuss their accounts and offer relevant advice and support.
– Work in partnership with various departments and external agencies (DWP, JCP, Citizens Advice, etc) to help customers sustain their accommodation.
– Collaborate closely with colleagues in the Benefits and Homeless Prevention Service to ensure holistic support for customers.
– Maintain precise records in accordance with GDPR.
– Provide support at the front-of-house counter for Temporary Accommodation income collection inquiries at the Hackney Service Centre.
– Identify and refer vulnerable clients to appropriate support services.
– Recognise accounts that may require possession action and take necessary steps.
– Facilitate the service of possession notices efficiently.
– Prepare cases for Legal referral and represent the Council in court for eviction hearings
– Stay updated on welfare benefits and any changes that may impact clients’ ability to make payments.
– Keep informed about housing legislation relevant to income collection practices.
– Provide support for colleagues within the Income Collection Team when required

A Standard DBS check is required for this role.

If you have any queries about this role please contact Abayomi Ishola abayomi.ishola@hackney.gov.uk

As a Council, our most outstanding asset is our staff, who are highly dedicated to serving our residents and committed to our goals as an organisation.

If you want to work in a place where you can represent our values so we achieve the best for our residents, please click on the apply button below.

We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Therefore, we do not accept supporting statements or CV’s.

To proceed with your application, you will need to create an account and submit your application.

As part of the application process, you will need to complete a number of competency based questions. These questions allow you to demonstrate your suitability for the role and provide examples of your skills, knowledge and experience outlined in the job description.

We understand the benefits of using AI in the workplace. However, if you are thinking of using this tool to submit your application, we ask you to think about what value it will add. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.

This application process replaces a supporting statement.

Prior to applying for a vacancy for a secondment opportunity, please liaise with your line manager and inform them of your interest in applying for the role.

Closing date for applications: 12 April 2026 (22:59)

Interview date: W/c 27 April 2026

We are also working towards our vision, which is to be a place for everyone; where residents and staff can be proud; a place that celebrates diversity and where everyone can feel valued, included and involved. In order to achieve this, we look for people who are: Proud; Ambitious; Pioneering; Open; Proactive; Inclusive.

Hackney Council works to eradicate discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. We also recognise that people can be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will also work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class. We also welcome those interested in flexible working. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people, as this group is currently under represented in our workforce.

The Council has a dedicated employment support service (Hackney Works), which offers Hackney residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you are thinking about applying for a job, please contact the Hackney Works team to find out what support is available: hackneyworks@hackney.gov.uk