Benefits Officer
| Posting date: | 18 March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £29,540 to £31,537 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 12 April 2026 |
| Location: | Loughborough, Leicestershire |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 3 days per week |
| Company: | Charnwood Borough Council |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | M557 |
Summary
We are currently recruiting two Benefits Officers to join our Benefits Assessment Team.
The Role
The team deal with applications for Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support, and discretionary payments, gathering information and making decisions which ensure that customers get the financial support that they are entitled to. Day to day, you’ll be providing a high quality and customer-focused service to residents. This can be in writing, via electronic channels, via the telephone, or face to face. You’ll assess and process all types of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support claims and changes in circumstances, as well as assessing applications for discretionary payments.
The Person
We are looking for candidates who are self-motivated, organised, empathetic and committed to providing a fair and consistent service to all. The successful candidates will have excellent attention to detail, the ability to learn and interpret legislation, have good questioning and analytical skills, and be comfortable working in a collaborative, fast-paced team environment. Knowledge and experience of welfare benefits would be an advantage but is not essential as full training will be provided.
The benefits of working with us:
• Agile working for many roles
• Generous annual leave of between 35.5 and 40.5 days of leave (depending on length of service), inclusive of bank holidays
• Most services are closed over Christmas
• Opportunities for professional development linked to many roles
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme
• Free parking
We are a Disability Confident Employer and proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant's Employer Recognition Gold Award.
We prioritise the well-being and engagement of our employees through internal groups such as the Staff Forum, Health and Wellbeing Group and Equality Working Group.
The Council strongly believes a diverse and inclusive workforce helps make our services better. We value the individual strengths of each colleague and the potential they bring.
Find out more about this role and who we are by visiting www.charnwood.gov.uk/jobs
About the Council
Charnwood is one of the largest shire district councils in the country based on population, serving around 183,000 people.
We offer a range of services, with everything from refuse and recycling collections to the operation of a theatre and historic markets.
Our services are built on our values: Pride in Charnwood; Customer Focused and Working Together
About Charnwood
We are proud of our borough, and it is a great place to live, work visit and invest in. Charnwood boasts breath-taking landscapes which are great to explore.
At the heart of Charnwood is Loughborough, home to a world class university, historic markets, and the only major bell foundry in the UK. It is a diverse community thanks to its student population and cultures from around the world.
Charnwood is located in the centre of the country with rail, road and air links to the rest of the nation and the world beyond. Our investment brand in Charnwood describes the borough as being at the centre of innovation.
Our economy is increasingly diversifying, leveraging the incredible research that flows from the world class Loughborough University and our science and technology related industries. Charnwood also has a wide ranging-portfolio of physical, cultural and social assets, with many of the levers of sustainable and inclusive growth at our disposal.
There are a range of exciting developments and regeneration opportunities which will help create high-quality jobs and ensure continued economic prosperity.
No Agencies please.
The Role
The team deal with applications for Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support, and discretionary payments, gathering information and making decisions which ensure that customers get the financial support that they are entitled to. Day to day, you’ll be providing a high quality and customer-focused service to residents. This can be in writing, via electronic channels, via the telephone, or face to face. You’ll assess and process all types of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support claims and changes in circumstances, as well as assessing applications for discretionary payments.
The Person
We are looking for candidates who are self-motivated, organised, empathetic and committed to providing a fair and consistent service to all. The successful candidates will have excellent attention to detail, the ability to learn and interpret legislation, have good questioning and analytical skills, and be comfortable working in a collaborative, fast-paced team environment. Knowledge and experience of welfare benefits would be an advantage but is not essential as full training will be provided.
The benefits of working with us:
• Agile working for many roles
• Generous annual leave of between 35.5 and 40.5 days of leave (depending on length of service), inclusive of bank holidays
• Most services are closed over Christmas
• Opportunities for professional development linked to many roles
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme
• Free parking
We are a Disability Confident Employer and proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant's Employer Recognition Gold Award.
We prioritise the well-being and engagement of our employees through internal groups such as the Staff Forum, Health and Wellbeing Group and Equality Working Group.
The Council strongly believes a diverse and inclusive workforce helps make our services better. We value the individual strengths of each colleague and the potential they bring.
Find out more about this role and who we are by visiting www.charnwood.gov.uk/jobs
About the Council
Charnwood is one of the largest shire district councils in the country based on population, serving around 183,000 people.
We offer a range of services, with everything from refuse and recycling collections to the operation of a theatre and historic markets.
Our services are built on our values: Pride in Charnwood; Customer Focused and Working Together
About Charnwood
We are proud of our borough, and it is a great place to live, work visit and invest in. Charnwood boasts breath-taking landscapes which are great to explore.
At the heart of Charnwood is Loughborough, home to a world class university, historic markets, and the only major bell foundry in the UK. It is a diverse community thanks to its student population and cultures from around the world.
Charnwood is located in the centre of the country with rail, road and air links to the rest of the nation and the world beyond. Our investment brand in Charnwood describes the borough as being at the centre of innovation.
Our economy is increasingly diversifying, leveraging the incredible research that flows from the world class Loughborough University and our science and technology related industries. Charnwood also has a wide ranging-portfolio of physical, cultural and social assets, with many of the levers of sustainable and inclusive growth at our disposal.
There are a range of exciting developments and regeneration opportunities which will help create high-quality jobs and ensure continued economic prosperity.
No Agencies please.