Finance Assistant
Swale and Maidstone Borough Council
Role
Who You Are
We are seeking an experienced Housing Rent Officer with a strong understanding of Universal Credit and Housing Benefit. You are self-motivated, organized, and comfortable working independently to manage and reduce former tenant rent arrears. You bring excellent communication and negotiation skills to engage with former tenants and ensure compliance with Maidstone Borough Council's arrears recovery procedures.
What the Job Involves
As a Housing Rent Officer, you will take responsibility for managing former tenant rent arrears. This includes engaging with former tenants via telephone, emails, text messages, and written correspondence to discuss outstanding arrears, negotiate and monitor repayment arrangements, and review benefit entitlement where appropriate. You will manage your own workload, implement effective recovery actions, maintain accurate records, and provide regular updates to the Housing Finance Lead.
Skills
- Strong understanding of Universal Credit and Housing Benefit
- Excellent negotiation and communication skills
- Ability to manage a varied workload and prioritize tasks
- Experience in rent arrears recovery within a housing environment
- Proficiency in maintaining accurate records
- Customer-focused with professional handling of sensitive conversations