Full job description
Mary Seacole Housing Association is rated excellent across all services it delivers to its residents. We boast of an exceptionally caring and passionate workforce. We are committed to investing in our staff team and providing a vast range of training opportunities. Mary Seacole Housing Association is a company that is always developing new and innovative ways to work – so work is never mundane or boring!
Purpose of post:
To coordinate and maximise the Association’s income through the effective collection of Housing Benefit, rent and other income owed to by it’s tenants, working supportively and proactively with the aim of sustaining tenancies.
· Improving MSHA’s performance
· Building on existing skills and developing new skills
· Working closely with team colleagues to enable excellent customer service
Key responsibilities:
Arrears prevention
1. To provide an excellent customer focussed service for all MSHA tenants ensuring that tenants are aware of their responsibility to pay their rent on time and regularly, and to advise on preventative action to be taken to stop them falling into arrears.
2. To keep up to date on welfare benefit entitlements, particularly housing related benefits and all changes due to Welfare Reform.
3. To advise tenants on welfare benefits – to offer advice and encourage debt counselling and refer tenants to specialist advice. To complete claim forms on behalf of tenants and verify claims on behalf of the Local Authority.
4. To keep up to date with best practice on arrears prevention, putting forward ideas and suggestions for service improvements.
5. To attend liaison meetings with Local Authorities and other external agencies as required.
6. To arrange for the production and distribution of regular rent statements to tenants and advise tenants on these accordingly.
Income collection
7. To be responsible for the coordination of collection of rental income and other housing related debts.
8. To provide advice and assistance to Case Managers and where relevant support tenants who have rent arrears by visiting them on a regular basis and maximising personal contact.
9. To liaise with the relevant Benefits sections in local authorities regarding the processing and progress of individual housing benefits claims, liaise regularly with the Finance Manager about chasing the progress of housing benefit applications and overpayments where appropriate.
10. In accordance with MSHA’s policy to monitor rent accounts and implement the MSHA’s rent arrears control procedures ensuring that tenants are notified of any arrears at the earliest opportunity.
11. To carry out regular home visits in connection with income recovery or arrears prevention and to serve notices of seeking possession.
12. Coordinate the Associations HB, Work and Rent contract procedures.
13. To quality assure the Inform system has been updated with details of individual income streams, payment dates and rent arrears actions and advise on the improvement of such systems on a regular basis.
14. To keep full and detailed records of all actions taken and all contact with tenants.
15. To provide a regular weekly report on rent arrears to their Line Manager.
16. To liaise with the Finance Manager in order to rectify errors, trace missing payments etc.
17. To have input into the arrears strategy and its implementation.
18. To liaise with the Case Manager and Safeguarding lead to ensure that vulnerable tenants are supported either through MSHA services or external agencies.
19. To maintain up to date details of outstanding housing benefit claims and any associated problems arising out of these claims.
If interested in this job post, please email your CV to Nicole. The full job description and application form will be emailed to you.
Benefits:
- Work from home opportunities
- Flexible working hours
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
- Casual dress
- Subsidised gym membership
- Company pension
Job Types: Full-time, Fixed term contract
Contract length: 12 months
Pay: £26,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Gym membership
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
Schedule:
- Flexitime
- Monday to Friday
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Luton: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Education:
- A-Level or equivalent (required)
Experience:
- customer service environment: 1 year (required)
- Good understanding of social housing issues: 1 year (preferred)
- Knowledge of welfare rights & benefits: 1 year (preferred)
Language:
- Fluent English (required)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person