BENEFIT OFFICER
Our Values
In line with our One Coventry Values, we want to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking. We particularly welcome applicants from minority ethnic, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our residents so that equity and respect remains at the heart of everything we do.
Our Values are:
- Open and fair: We are fair, open, and transparent.
- Nurture and develop: We help and encourage everyone to be their best and do their best.
- Engage and empower: We talk and listen to others, working together as one.
- Create and innovate: We embrace new ways of working to continuously improve.
- Own and be accountable: We work together to deliver the best services for our residents.
- Value and respect: We put diversity and inclusion at the heart of all we do.
About the team we are recruiting to
Coventry City Council’s Benefits Service is comprised of diverse, multi-talented teams who all have the same aim, to help the city’s most vulnerable residents.
Our work is varied and covers the assessment and administration of schemes that provide financial help and support for those in need.
Specifically, the teams are responsible for the delivery of:
Housing Benefit and Discretionary Housing Payments which we administer on behalf of the Department for Works and Pensions. We also recover any overpaid housing benefit
Council Tax Support which is a local scheme that helps residents with their Council Tax charges
Free School Meals, by working closely with schools we aim to ensure every child who is entitled has a free school meal
Community Support Grant Scheme which includes assistance in extreme emergency situations and can provide citizens help to resettle back into the community by providing essential furniture items.
We embrace the ONE COVENTRY approach, working closely with our external partners and other Council teams, such as the Housing and Homeless teams and Children’s teams, ensuring we have a holistic approach to supporting our residents.
What is the job role?
All candidates must have the Right to Work in the UK. We are currently not offering sponsorship for this role.
Are you looking for a new challenge, if so, then why not join our Benefit Service
We have full time permanent vacancies for pro-active, motivated individuals who, after a period of training, will be responsible for the assessment for customers receiving Universal Credit to award Local Council Tax Support and award Free School Meals.
You will work as part of a team of Benefit Officers to ensure prompt and accurate processing of claims on our Revenues and Benefits and document management IT systems.
This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
Who are we looking for?
If you have good customer service skills, a basic knowledge of welfare reforms: the effects of Universal Credit on Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support and are used to working in a fast- paced changing environment, then this is the role for you.
- Possess a good level of numeracy skills to accurately assess claims for Council Tax support using an online system
- Have knowledge of Housing Benefit, council tax support and other Welfare Benefits including the importance of confidentiality
- Possess keyboard skills for efficient data input, retrieval, and email communication and excel.
- Be able to compose written responses to complex enquiries from customers and external agencies.
- Be able to organise and prioritise own workload effectively.
- Be able to deliver excellent customer service skills.
If you need help or support to complete your application, please visit our accessibility page to see how we can assist you.
For full details on the application process please read the attached document on our jobs page labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'
If you need help or support to complete your application, please visit our accessibility page to see how we can assist you.
Guaranteed Interview Scheme - As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role and identify with one of the below criteria:
- Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
- Are currently in care or have previously been in care
- If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition
For full details on the application process please read the attached document on our jobs page labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'.
If there is any evidence of a candidate using AI to complete their application, then the application will be rejected unless the candidate can provide a justification which the Council considers to be reasonable.
Interview date(s): Assessment Date Tuesday 26 August 2025 -Council House
If successful Interview dates are - Thursday 28 & Friday 29th August 2025 -One Friargate Station Square Coventry
About Coventry
Coventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems and bring about real social change.
We are cutting-edge, challenging, youthful, vibrant and diverse.
At Coventry we are committed to excellence in everything we do. With around 5100 staff from a range of different backgrounds, our aim is to recruit and develop talented people who will focus on our customers, take responsibility, work together and find better ways of doing things.
To deliver the best services to our residents, we need the best people working for us to make a difference to our communities.
If you join us, we will provide a fantastic rewards and benefits package - to find out more please visit https://www.coventry.gov.uk/council-vacancies
Coventry City Council
