Council Tax Officer​/Revenues & Benefits Officer

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

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

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