Benefits & Housing Needs Officer

Are you passionate about providing direct support to residents and preventing homelessness? Do you have a deep understanding of the welfare benefits system? Connect2Hackney, the internal talent team for the London Borough of Hackney, are recruiting for Hackney's vital Here To Help service for a dedicated and empathetic Benefits and Housing Needs Officer.

This is a crucial role where you will be the first point of contact for residents struggling with their housing costs. You will take a holistic and hands-on approach, using your expertise to provide immediate financial relief while empowering residents to achieve long-term financial stability. You will manage a varied caseload, where every day brings a new challenge and a new opportunity to make a tangible difference in someone's life.

About the Role

As a Benefits and Housing Needs Officer, you will be responsible for both the specialist assessment of applications and the administrative processes that ensure our service runs efficiently. You will be expected to support approximately 10-15 residents a week.

Your key responsibilities will include :

Casework and Assessment :

Contacting residents to understand their circumstances and decide on the best package of financial and non-financial support to help them.

Assessing, awarding, and processing Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs), using your discretion in line with internal guidance.

Conducting comprehensive benefit checks w...