This role is currently based from home due to COVID 19 until further notice. Peabody plans to move to a hybrid model of working which means that once our office refurbishment has been completed, the role will be part office (Waterloo) and part home based.

Income Collections Officers are key delivery roles in ensuring that the Peabody Group achieves its strategic objectives of minimising arrears, increasing cash collection whilst minimising evictions. The role is also key in embedding a customer first culture that puts the customer at the heart of everything we do.

You will be the first point of contact for effectively managing tenant arrears with a strong focus on income collection maximisation and customer relations. Exhausting a set of agreed policies and procedures and through using data to ensure the delivery of a rent collection and arrears service which meets targets whilst helping customers to manage debt.

Key Collections Officers Responsibilities include:

- Maximising all revenue streams to improve income collection rates and minimise the levels of debt.  To monitor arrears cases and ensure that prompt action is taken, including liaison with internal Benefits & Money advice specialists and instigating legal proceedings where necessary.

- Responding to routine enquiries from tenants, in person, through correspondence and by telephone.

- Ensuring personal objectives and targets are met.

- Interviewing residents by phone, in the office or via home visits as required.

- Actively promoting to tenants the range of payment methods available and signpost them to the relevant financial or other support available.

- Providing advice and information to tenants in respect of interventions for managing arrears and welfare benefit entitlements.

- Keeping abreast of all appropriate welfare reform, benefit and revenue related changes in legislation

- Developing good working relationships with Local Authority Housing Benefit Departments or Universal Credit partnerships and liaising with Housing Benefit/DWP’s and other support agencies to manage debt

- Assisting vulnerable residents to sustain their tenancies and address rent payment breaches, including liaison with support networks, reporting and signposting adults that have been identified as having support or other needs to the appropriate services.

- Preparing and submitting applications to the County Court or First Tier Tribunals in relation to breaches or arrears, seeking and enforcing judgement. Attend Court or Tribunals to represent Peabody as necessary.

legislation

Skills/Experience required:

- Experience of income recovery for rent arrears

- Understanding of legal proceedings for rent arrears

- Excellent negotiation skills

- Excellent communication skills

- Ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines and targets

- A Working knowledge of modern Collection IT systems

- GCSE Maths and English Language, Grade 4 or above or equivalent

- 2 A-Levels or equivalent

- Charted Institute of Credit Management (CICM) qualification or evidence of working towards it

At Peabody, where possible, we provide flexible working opportunities from day one to our employees, as we recognise the importance of a good work-life balance; and to improve our productivity and performance, we embrace agile working, which means if you are in a desk based role, that will be a hybrid of office and home working. If your role is in a client facing environment, appropriate base location will apply.

Our mission is to help people make the most of their lives and an important part of this is to ensure that our organisation reflects the wider communities we serve. We want to attract recruit and retain a diverse, inclusive and creative workforce to give us the best opportunity to meet the diverse needs of our residents and customers. We actively encourage applications from all groups and communities, as well as from BAME, LGBTQ+ and disabled people.