Finance Officer

Job Description

This buisiness provides accommodation together with support to single vulnerable adults who present with needs. The Role of the Finance Officer is to ensure that the financial element of the placement is managed well and is supportive to the Service Userso that their placement is sustained. It is also important for the financial processes to be monitored and maintained correctly enabling the business to continue providing the supported service.The Finance Officer role will support the business to meet its financial targets by ensuring housing benefit and service charge payments are received.The Finance Officer will support the Service Manager by troubleshooting housing benefit and service charge issues: overseeing housing benefit applications, and service charge arrears, and swiftly taking action to resolve any non-payments issues before escalatingto management, at every stage they will work alongside the support team to help them provide the best possible support to their service users.The Finance Officer will help service users and staff to navigate the benefits system and support the service user moving into employment by offering advise and guidance. They will also support the support coordinators, to help the service user to obtainthe correct benefits, maximise their income, address debts, and complete budget plans.The Role of Financial Officer is expected to undertake the following duties:

1. Complete Housing benefit applications (HB) on behalf of Service Users. Using the relevant online HB application system.
2. Ensure that the Landlord portal is being monitored daily to help identify changes that may affect HB payments. To act quickly on such issues to avoid suspensions from continuing for longer than necessary.
3. To manage any overpayments and or HB shortfalls as soon as they have been identified, to avoid a financial impact on the service user and or Focused Living.
4. To log all housing benefit payments with accuracy, and to ensure the log used is always up to date.
5. To follow the Universal Credit Review process, ensuring that UC is relevant and current to avoid suspension/cancellation and subsequently non-payment of housing benefit.
6. Liaise with the Housing Benefit departments
7. Liaise with The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to ensure Service Users are being supported to understand processes set out by the DWP.
8. Provide rent statements to service users and staff as requested.
9. To write and send letters to Service Users when required - from the Finance Department.

Service Charge:

1. You will be expected to log all received/collected service charge payments.
2. Follow and action the Service Charge Arrears Process when required.
3. Provide service charge statements to Service Users on a regular basis.
4. Work with the support team to ensure service charge is collected.
5. Ensure that any non-payment of service charge is addressed quickly to avoid large debts.

General:

1. Pay outstanding invoices as instructed by the Service Manager and or the Directors
2. Manage the Service Budgets that will be provided.
3. Approve orders - ensuring that the budget is considered.
4. Manage the petty cash system, ensuring that the system is being used with accuracy. That invoices, receipts etc, are collected and logged.

Recording and Reporting:

1. To produce monthly reports for the service manager on housing benefits and service charge collection.
2. To accurately record meetings and interactions with service users and any meeting with the teams or external agencies.

Competencies:

• Excellent time management and organisational skills
• Demonstrate initiative and good problem-solving skills under pressure
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to explain issues in simple terms
• Excellent recording and reporting; proficient in MS work and Excel
• Ability to address service users barriers to paying rent and service charge in an empathetic, but assertive manner.