Assistant Finance Officer

Role Title: Assistant Finance Officer - Exchequer Services

(Housing Benefit Overpayments / Adult Social Care)

Type: Interim Contract
Day Rate: 150 to 225 per day (Umbrella, dependent on experience)
Hybrid and Home-Based: Hybrid - 4 days remote, 1 day onsite
Location: London

Sellick Partnership are working with a London Borough who are seeking experienced Assistant Finance Officers to join their Exchequer Services team. We are recruiting for two interim opportunities, one specialising in Housing Benefit Overpayments and one within Adult Social Care Debt Recovery.

This is an excellent opportunity to join a busy local authority finance team, managing your own caseload while helping maximise income recovery and providing a high-quality service to both internal and external stakeholders.

The responsibilities of the Assistant Finance Officer will be:

• Manage a portfolio of either Housing Benefit Overpayment or Adult Social Care debt recovery cases from start to finish.
• Apply relevant legislation, policies and recovery procedures to determine the most appropriate course of action.
• Work closely with customers, the Department for Work and Pensions, enforcement agents and internal departments to progress outstanding debts.
• Maintain accurate financial records, reconciliations and audit trails using financial systems.
• Produce financial reports and analyse data to support effective income collection and service performance.
• Support the achievement of collection targets through proactive case management and timely recovery action.
• Provide financial support and guidance to service areas, ensuring compliance with financial procedures and controls.
• Contribute to process improvements and the ongoing development of efficient exchequer services.

The ideal candidate for the Assistant Finance Officer role will have:

• A minimum of three years' recent experience recovering either Housing Benefit Overpayments or Adult Social Care debt within a local authority.
• Strong knowledge of the relevant legislation and recovery methods, including Housing Benefit recovery processes such as DEA, BTR and PDP where applicable.
• Experience independently managing a varied caseload and prioritising workloads to meet deadlines.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to handle sensitive or complex customer cases.
• Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office and experience using housing benefit, revenues or financial management systems.
• The ability to interpret financial information and make informed decisions in line with legislation and organisational policies.
• A proactive, organised approach with a strong commitment to delivering excellent customer service.
• A Basic DBS check (or willingness to obtain one).

How to apply for the Assistant Finance Officer role:

If you believe that you are well suited to this excellent opportunity as an Assistant Finance Officer, please apply directly or contact Tim Farnsworth at Sellick Partnership Derby Office for more information.

CVs will be reviewed upon application, with suitable candidates being submitted to the client and contacted to arrange interviews as soon as possible.

Sellick Partnership is proud to be an inclusive and accessible recruitment business and we support applications from candidates of all backgrounds and circumstances. Please note, our advertisements use years' experience, hourly rates, and salary levels purely as a guide and we assess applications based on the experience and skills evidenced on the CV. For information on how your personal details may be used by Sellick Partnership, please review our data processing notice on our website.