Income Officer

Job Title

Income Officer

Contract

Full Time Permanent

Hours

38 hours per week

Salary

£34,578 per annum

Location

NE London.

For 50 years, Outward has been providing high‑quality support and care services to vulnerable people across London, predominantly in North East London. We support over 1,000 people across nine boroughs, guided by our core values: engage, enable, and empower.

Role Overview

The Income Officer plays a key role in empowering supported adults to live independent and fulfilling lives by ensuring rent and service charge arrears are reduced and recoveries are maximised.

Your Responsibilities

• Maximise receipt of rent and service charge income by ensuring that housing benefit claims are set up and maintained, monitoring rent accounts and taking steps to recover arrears, including liaising with housing benefit and support providers, negotiating repayment agreements and providing welfare benefit & debt advice to tenants where needed.
• Collect rent and service charges on the allocated patch, carrying out debt recovery actions and managing former tenants’ arrears.
• Maintain accurate records in the electronic rent system, ensuring all actions and communications regarding rent payments and arrears are fully recorded.
• Keep abreast of legislation, regulations and Outward’s policy framework that affect charges, benefits and entitlements.
• Prepare and serve Notices of Intention to Seek Possession documents, and where necessary, prepare court action reports and attend court on behalf of the organisation.
• Manage the new tenant sign‑up process, liaising with partner agencies to minimise voids, preparing tenancy agreements, handbooks and information packs.
• Explain the terms of the occupancy agreement to new residents and support them to understand their rights and obligations.
• Provide advice and guidance to support and housing department staff where the new tenant sign‑up process has been devolved.
• Work collaboratively with supported housing officers and support staff to address and resolve rent and service charge payments and arrears.
• Develop and maintain proactive relationships with advice agencies and other statutory and voluntary organisations to ensure appropriate support and advice is available to residents.
• Attend liaison meetings with Housing Benefit when required.
• Complete administration connected with tenancy termination and updates in all systems.
• Assist with administration of annual rent increases, including amending Direct Debits and liaising with local authority HB departments and residents.
• Maintain good working relationships with Newlon Housing Trust and other partner landlords.
• Prepare reports for the Income & Service Charge Manager and the Supported Housing Director when required.
• Promote and implement the Outward Equal Opportunities Policy in all aspects of the role and with outside bodies.
• Participate in regular supervision andannual appraisal, attend training and meetings as required and contribute to identifying own job‑related development and training needs.
• Work responsibly, maintaining a high quality standard of work, in accordance with the aims, values and ethos of Outward.
• Undertake any other duties commensurate with the general level of responsibility of the post as required by management.

Requirements

Essential Criteria

• Knowledge of health and safety issues within a supported housing environment.
• Understanding of confidentiality, GDPR and data protection principles.
• Access to a smartphone capable of receiving SMS messages and installing authentication apps.
• Right to work in the UK (no visa sponsorship).
• Ability to build and maintain positive relationships with internal and external partners.
• Skill to write clear, concise letters and reports.
• Ability to plan, organise own workload and meet deadlines.
• Good IT skills.
• Experience of general administration and record keeping, including electronic records.
• Ability to develop collaborative partnerships to promote joint working, best practice and consistency of service delivery.
• Experience of working under pressure to meet specific targets.
• Experience of effectively managing and responding to complaints.
• Ability to provide welfare benefit and debt management advice.
• Ability to attend court and represent the landlord at DIY possession hearings.
• Ability to establish and maintain housing benefit claims and negotiate arrears repayment agreements with tenants.
• Commitment to equal opportunities in service delivery and employment.
• Understanding of the supported housing sector and delivery of housing‑related support.
• Ability to work both as part of a team and independently.

Desirable Criteria

• Front line experience of rent collection and account monitoring.
• Experience of using CX rent accounting system or similar.
• Experience of using rent sense or similar.
• Experience of presenting rent arrears cases in court.
• Experience of DIY court possession proceedings.
• Knowledge of Housing Law.
• Working knowledge of welfare benefits.
• Experience of signing up tenants.
• CIH Level 4 in housing management or equivalent.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Learning and Development Programme.
• Pension Scheme.
• Cycle‑to‑Work Scheme.
• Blue Light Discounts Card.
• Eye Care Vouchers.
• Flu Jab Reimbursement.
• Health Assured Employee Assistance Programme.
• Option to purchase additional annual leave.
• Refer‑a‑Friend Scheme.
• Long Service Awards.
• Discounted holidays at Nutley Edge Cottages.
• Credit Union Scheme.
• Outward Computing Scheme.
• Death in Service Benefit.

Equality & Safeguarding

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community. All stages of recruitment and selection are carried out without regard to gender, sexual orientation, marital status, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, age or trade union membership. (Disability confident applicants only: please indicate clearly at the beginning of your supporting statement if you have a disability.) Outward is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults at risk and requires a DBS for successful candidates where applicable.

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