Benefit Manager

• Grade H £45,718 - £49,764
• 37 hours per week
• Permanent

What will you be doing

You will manage a team of Benefit Officers, within the Revenues and Benefits section at Tewkesbury Borough Council.

You will make recommendations on the strategic direction of the service, supporting development of the team and foster good relationships with our stakeholders.

Ensuring that staff are well-trained to provide exceptional service, especially to the most vulnerable residents, is crucial.

The department has recently undergone a restructure and you will be an important part of helping shape the Revenues and Benefits team, creating a supportive and healthy environment for the future.

About you

We are looking for a Benefits professional with proven experience in a Revenues and Benefits environment, you must have excellent knowledge of benefit/welfare legislation and best practice in relation to the administration of Housing Benefit, Discretionary Housing Payments, and Subsidy.

You will have significant experience of leadership and managing and motivating a team at a senior level in a Benefits environment, as well as effective performance management and proven experience of managing a high performing team.

You will have significant experience of leadership and managing and motivating a team at a senior level in a Benefits environment as well as effective performance management and proven experience of managing high performing teams.

You will have excellent communication skills with the ability to support and negotiate with stakeholders.

Tewkesbury is one of the fastest-growing districts outside of London, and we are committed to creating a sustainable place that meets the needs of our growing population.

The benefit team is made up of Assessing Officers, DHP officer, Welfare Officer and a Subsidy Officer. Our current caseload is around 1800 Housing Benefit and 4700 Council Tax Reduction claimants. The department uses NEC and Enterprise systems.

Successful applicants will be required to attend a formal interview and complete an assessment, if you would like to discuss the interview or the post in more detail please contact Lorraine Marshall, Head of Revenues and Benefits - [email protected] for an informal discussion.   

Please note: Previous applicants need not reapply.

Closing Date: 11 April 2025

Agile working - We are proud of being an agile employer, supporting a wide range of ways of working which benefit both employees and the council including part-time working, remote working, job share/split, compressed hours, annualised hours, flexi-time, extended leave breaks and additional annual leave after qualifying period of employment.

Generous annual leave allowance – 25 days annual leave, increasing to 30 days after 5 years continuous service, and to 31 days after 10 years continuous service.

Local Government Pension scheme – planning for the future we ensure our employees have a generous pension to look forward to when you retire.

Commitment to employee wellbeing - We offer flu jabs annually and give support towards eyesight tests and a contribution to glasses for users of visual display units. We also provide confidential access to external counselling services and Occupational Health specialists as staff require. This has led us to being awarded the Workplace Wellbeing Charter.

Discounted leisure centre membership – up to 20% discount off annual membership rates with Tewkesbury Leisure Centre (Places for People)

Training and Development - We recognise the importance of training and education for our employees; therefore, we commit to training being a continuing process, taking place at any level in any job, and at any stage of an individual's career. 

At Tewkesbury Borough Council, we believe our workforce is our greatest asset, and therefore our employees’ happiness, wellbeing and engagement is of paramount importance.

We are very proud of our culture and, as an organisation, the council has a commitment to valuing its employees – “We will support, praise and invest in our workforce to develop our organisation”.

Find out more about us and the benefits of working for us by clicking here. 

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

The council is committed to promoting equality of opportunity; we welcome applications from all sections of the community.