Council Tax Officer / Revenues & Benefits Officer
Location: 1 Catford Road, Catford, London, SE6 4RU
Start Date: ASAP
Contract Duration: 13+ months
Working Hours: Mon – Fri, 09:00 – 17:00 2 days remote, 3 days office-based
Pay Rate: £ 21.45 Per Hour
Job Ref: OR22046
Job Responsibilities
Administer Council Tax and other revenue accounts in line with legislation and Council procedures
Recover outstanding debts efficiently and in accordance with statutory regulations
Prepare and present cases at Magistrates’, County and High Court hearings and relevant tribunals
Represent the Council in court, including liability order, committal, charging order, bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings
Remain at court until all listed cases have concluded
Liaise with courts, enforcement agents, solicitors and other external partners to progress recovery actions
Instruct and monitor Enforcement Agents and report on their performance
Deal with customer enquiries by telephone, email, correspondence and face to face
Handle complex cases and complaints professionally and within agreed timescales
Process applications for discounts, exemptions and reliefs, ensuring fraud prevention controls are followed
Prepare statutory documents, warrants, statutory demands and court applications as required
Maintain accurate records, case notes, statistics and system data to meet audit requirements
Identify irrecoverable debt and submit write-off requests in line with delegated authority
Ensure compliance with GDPR and information governance requirements
Work collaboratively with internal teams and external organisations to support revenue collection
Contribute to service improvements, quality checks and procedural reviews
Provide guidance and mentoring to junior staff when required
Person Specification
Must-Have Requirements
Eligible to work in the UK
Minimum of 3 years’ work history and references
Proven experience in council tax recovery or similar statutory debt recovery work
Experience of preparing and presenting cases in Magistrates’, County or High Courts
Strong knowledge of relevant legislation, enforcement procedures and recovery processes
Ability to manage difficult cases and communicate effectively with customers and stakeholders
Willingness to travel to courts outside the borough when required
Flexibility with working hours on court days
Signed confidentiality agreement
Completed criminal convictions declaration
Nice-to-Have Requirements
Experience working within a local authority revenues service
Experience managing or overseeing Enforcement Agents
Knowledge of insolvency, bankruptcy and committal proceedings
Familiarity with revenue systems and court documentation processes
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