Assistant Finance Officer – Housing Benefit & Adult Social Care

About the role

The Assistant Finance Officer will support the Finance and Investment Directorate by managing housing benefit overpayment and adult social care debt portfolios. You will work closely with internal stakeholders and external partners to ensure timely and compliant recovery of debts.

Key responsibilities

• Independently manage a caseload of Housing Benefit Overpayment debts, prioritising work and progressing recovery actions.
• Apply relevant legislation, regulations and departmental procedures to determine appropriate recovery methods.
• Liaise with customers, the Department for Work and Pensions, enforcement agents and other partners to maximise recovery.
• Manage an Adult Social Care debt portfolio, recovering charges from financial assessments, care charges and deferred payment agreements.
• Engage with vulnerable customers and their representatives to achieve suitable outcomes.

Required profile

• Minimum three years recent experience in housing benefit overpayment or adult social care debt recovery within a local authority.
• Strong analytical ability to assess customer circumstances and decide on recovery actions.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills for handling difficult conversations.
• Basic DBS clearance.

Required skills

• Sound knowledge of Housing Benefit recovery legislation and methods (e.g., PDP, DEA, BTR).
• Competent IT skills, including Microsoft Office and relevant financial management systems.

What we offer

• Competitive daily rate (GBP 140‑150).
• Opportunity to work within a collaborative finance team in London.
• Professional development in public sector finance and debt recovery.