Job Description

Salary range: £ Grade £40,182-£42,060 p.a. plus fantastic benefits
Contract: Fixed Term
Hours of work: 36 hours per week
Location: Croydon

Croydon Council is looking for a self-motivated and results-focused Accommodation Income Officer to join our Temporary Accommodation income collection team.

This role will play a key part in recovering housing-related debt, reducing arrears and protecting public funds. You will manage a caseload of current and former temporary accommodation accounts, taking proactive action to recover outstanding charges while ensuring customers are treated fairly and professionally.

Working closely with residents, former occupants, internal services and external agencies, you will use a combination of negotiation, income maximisation advice and enforcement action to improve collection rates and reduce outstanding debt across the service.

About the role

You will be responsible for delivering an effective income collection and debt recovery service across emergency and temporary accommodation accounts.

The role will have a particular focus on recovering former tenant arrears, reducing long-term debt and maximising income collection performance.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing a caseload of current and former tenant accounts, identifying arrears and taking timely recovery action.
• Tracing former occupants and pursuing outstanding accommodation charges and other housing-related debts.
• Negotiating repayment arrangements and monitoring compliance with agreed payment plans.
• Taking enforcement action where appropriate, including serving notices, preparing legal cases and attending court on behalf of the council.
• Liaising with the Department for Work and Pensions and Housing Benefit teams to resolve payment issues and maximise recoverable income.
• Managing Universal Credit rent verifications, managed payments and alternative payment arrangements.
• Producing accurate case records, performance information and arrears reports.
• Responding to enquiries from residents, elected members, MPs, solicitors and other stakeholders.
• Working with internal teams and external agencies to remove barriers to payment and improve recovery outcomes.
• Contributing to service improvement initiatives designed to strengthen income collection and reduce debt.

About you

• You will be an experienced income recovery professional who is comfortable managing large caseloads, pursuing debt and achieving collection targets in a busy environment.
• You will also be able to demonstrate:
• Experience of rent recovery, arrears management, debt collection, credit control or income recovery.
• Experience of managing challenging conversations and securing positive payment outcomes.
• Knowledge of welfare benefits, including Housing Benefit and Universal Credit.
• An understanding of housing debt recovery processes and relevant landlord and tenant legislation.
• Strong negotiation and influencing skills.
• The ability to analyse accounts, interpret financial information and identify effective recovery options.
• Experience of working in a target-driven environment and delivering against performance measures.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise competing demands and meet deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• The ability to build productive relationships with colleagues, partners and customers while maintaining a firm and professional approach to debt recovery.

• This role would particularly suit candidates with experience in social housing income collection, local government revenues and benefits, credit control, debt recovery or housing management services.

Croydon Council’s priorities

The Council balances its books, listens to residents, and delivers good sustainable services

• Get a grip on the finances and make the council financially sustainable
• Become a council which listens to, respects and works in partnership with Croydon’s diverse communities and businesses
• Strengthen collaboration and joint working with partner organisations and the voluntary, community and faith sectors
• Ensure good governance is embedded and adopt best practice
• Develop our workforce to deliver in a manner that respects the diversity of our communities

Key business plan outcomes:

• Croydon is a place of opportunity for business, earning and learning
• Children and young people in Croydon have the chance to thrive, learn and fulfil their potential
• Croydon is a cleaner, safer and healthier place, a borough we’re proud to call home
• People can lead healthier and independent lives for longer
• Croydon Council’s new ways of working

Equal Opportunities Statement

Croydon Council is an inclusive employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Subject to business needs, we will be pleased to consider applications from candidates seeking flexible working arrangements and support hybrid working, whereby staff attend the workplace for part of their working week and work from home, or elsewhere, remotely for the rest of the time.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the advertised role.

Croydon council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment.
The Successful candidate will be subject to a DBS check, if the role requires one.