At Lewisham Homes, we believe in building on potential. As an Income Officer, your ability to effectively and proactively manage a case load of rent accounts could have a real impact on people’s lives.

Lewisham Homes is an ambitious not-for-profit organisation focused on improving housing in the borough. As well as managing 19,000 homes on behalf of Lewisham Council. We aim to provide a better experience and more opportunities for residents, communities – and the dedicated people who join our growing team.

As an Income Officer, you will be responsible for providing an effective people focused income collection service to maximise income and minimise rent arrears of Lewisham Homes’ residents.

If successful the main duties of your role will be:

• Effectively and proactively, manage a case load of rent accounts, ensuring rental income is maximised whilst supporting residents to sustain their tenancies.
• Engage proactively with residents, over the phone, visiting them at home or conducting office interviews.
• Support residents to maximise their income by providing advice and assistance to ensure they are not financially excluded.
• Represent Lewisham Homes in possession proceedings at County Courts.
• Keep accurate records in relation to arrears recovery action, complete documentation for legal cases and prepare reports to progress arrears cases in line with relevant Lewisham Homes policies and procedures.
• Ensure all documentation and arrears actions are completed to timescales and are in line with the standards detailed in the income recovery policies and procedures.
• To attend evictions as and when required, completing an inventory of goods and arranging for removals and storage of goods.
• Work with external stakeholders such as Housing Benefit, DWP, Social Services and Housing Options to resolve issues and prevent rent arrears.
• Work with internal colleagues to resolve issues such as disrepair, succession or abandonment of property and prevent rent arrears.
• Ensure individual performance targets on a range of income collection and customer service standards are met and work collaboratively with colleagues to ensure team targets are met.

We expect everyone at Lewisham Homes to be eager to learn new skills and to help others. As a major local employer with over 500 staff, we are committed to providing opportunities for personal development, plus flexible and agile working to help us to continue to embrace wellbeing. We also offer benefits including: season ticket loan, 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays, health & wellbeing benefits and membership of the local government pension scheme.

This role is currently remote working due to Covid-19. Longer term it will be agile working with some days being office-based.

This post is a 6-9 month part time Fixed Term Contract and is open to internal secondment consideration.

For more information about Lewisham Homes and this opportunity, please visit our website.