Lay Representative & Inspector
| Posting date: | 17 February 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £48,429 per year |
| Additional salary information: | £48,429 to £52,222 (National) £51,661 to £54,686 (London) available only for internal candidates. Candidates are advised to address any questions on rates of pay prior to applying for the post. |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 28 February 2026 |
| Location: | Manchester |
| Company: | Government Recruitment Service |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 448323/8 |
Summary
Inclusive and diverse teams are important to us. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups underrepresented in our workforce. The Insolvency Service strives to ensure that the agency is a safe, inclusive, and welcoming place for everybody to bring their true self to work and to help the agency to achieve its diversity objectives. We have 9 active employee network groups available to join or become an ally, these include, Carers Network, Disability network group, Employee Assistance, Representatives, FACES Network Group, LGBT+, Mind Matters, Part Time Workers, The Shed - Men’s Network Group and Women’s Network Group.
We offer full-time, part-time, job share and flexible ways of working. We value capability, technical skills and experience and we place great emphasis on lifetime development to support our people. We encourage our employees to become more involved in areas they feel strongly about, whether it be for the benefit of the agency, though our Engagement network or in their own local communities via volunteering opportunities.
The Insolvency Service is a great place to work, learn and grow your career!
The role offered is that of Lay Representative and Inspector within the Redundancy Payments Service (RPS), which is part of the Insolvency Service's Business Service Division (BSD). BSD is an operational delivery directorate, covering some 300 staff, providing high volume, often transactional services to the public or supporting the provision of these services by others.
BSD supports the main purpose of the Insolvency Service, delivering economic confidence through:
Supporting those in financial distress, tackling financial wrongdoing and maximising returns to creditors
Making statutory redundancy payments to employees of insolvent companies
Managing the Debt Relief Order process and administering the online bankruptcy application process and Breathing Space process
Identifying wrongdoing associated with Debt Relief Orders and redundancy payment applications Providing a first point of contact for all insolvency service enquiries Processing distributions to creditors from PPI compensation payments Providing estate accounting and other business services to the Agency.
Each year the RPS deals with 60,000 to 100,000 applications from redundant employees in financial distress whose former employer cannot or will not pay their entitlements. The successful candidate will carry out two roles:
Lay Representative: Among the applications from redundant employees will be those that will be rejected as we believe they are not entitled to be paid based on legislation and case law. Claimants who wish to contest a rejection are referred to the Employment Tribunal (ET). The successful candidate will be one of three individuals who will represent the RPS at the ET. Preparing evidence bundles, presenting the evidence in support of our decision and leading cross examinations on our behalf.
Wage checks: In addition, the successful candidate will also carry out wage record checks. This involves working with the professionals administering the insolvent estate of a former employer. Your role would be to validate the information extracted from the wage records provided in support of claims.
Both roles are normally carried out remotely, however, attendance in person at the ET or at the former employer's premises is sometimes required.
Responsibilities
As a lay representative and inspector you will:
- be responsible for acquiring and maintaining a high level of knowledge of employment and insolvency legislation and case law
- be responsible for acquiring and maintaining a high level of knowledge of tribunal procedures, including bundle preparation and matters relating to the hearing
- have your own case load and be responsible for ensuring that procedural timelines such as for responding to and submitting evidence are adhered to
- draft skeleton arguments and take the lead on cross examination of evidence at the ET
- be responsible for assessing the likely outcome of a case at each stage additional evidence is provided
- proactively request legal advice as required and make recommendations to your G7 line manager whether to proceed with a case or to concede
- provide feedback as to the outcome and any lessons learned to colleagues in operational areas to affirm, improve or refine our decision making on claims after each hearing
- take the lead on liaising with insolvency practitioners and/or official receivers to arrange wage checks or appropriate cases within days of being notified that redundancies have or will be made
- make recommendations as to how to claimants entitlements are to be calculated. These may be complex, such as the weekly rate of pay of employees depending on how individuals pay is comprised.
- summarise your findings from each wage check in a detailed written report with a recommendation to a G6 Assistant Director as to whether the wage records can be relied upon to pay claims. The report would also include direction to operational colleagues on how to deal with any complex aspects of the claims.
- provide training and advice as required to colleagues within RPS.
- assist colleagues in RPS a required, including deputising for their G7 line manager whose responsibilities include assisting operation colleagues with technical matters, and responding to ministerial and other official correspondence
There is no line management responsibility.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme