Financial Wellbeing Manager

Financial Wellbeing Manager

Northampton

Salary range: £38,000 - £45,000 depending on experience + 10% bonus scheme

Our market leading client is looking for a Financial Wellbeing Manager to join their team in Northampton. The Financial Wellbeing Manager role will be to provide housing related welfare and benefit support to customers with an emphasis on supporting residents to access welfare benefits.

You would be expected to effectively manage and maintain a caseload, responding to customers in a timely manner and record all contact on a case management system.

You will work in closely with both internal colleagues and external partnership agencies and strive to ensure that the customers are provided relevant support.

Key responsibilities of a Financial Wellbeing Manager:

• To ensure customers can access and receive welfare benefit entitlements by assisting with applications, back-dates, reconsiderations and appeals.
• Assist with reducing and clearing arrears on rent accounts by applying for external funding and negotiation and setting up affordable arrangements.
• To assess customers’ income and expenditure for eligibility for homelessness prevention and hardship funds.
• Establish local partnerships with statutory agencies such as the Department for Work and Pensions, Housing Benefit Departments and voluntary/charitable organisations.
• Monitor and track all customers impacted by welfare reforms, take remedial actions and provide reporting where necessary.
• Develop pathways for customers to access training and employment initiatives.
• Work in partnership with internal colleagues to provide advice, guidance and support on changes to welfare reform, Universal Credit and to facilitate access opportunities to local grant and charitable funding.
• Carry out occasional home visits to discuss DWP payments, pensions, HMRC queries, DWP tribunals, charity applications and housing support.
• Work closely with Lettings Team to ensure that applicants meet affordability criteria.
• Assisting new customers to set up and maintain tenancies and prevent rent arrears in early stages. Identifying opportunities to maximise personal income through welfare benefits by conducting entitlement checks and making the necessary applications where applicable.
• Apply for Grants and Discretionary Housing payments to help pay rent in advance.
• Agreeing payment plans and payment methods in advance of tenancy sign ups.

Experience and skills required for the Financial Wellbeing Manager

• Good knowledge and understanding of the welfare and benefit system, entitlements and referral pathways.
• Customer centric, a natural advocate for our customers.
• Confident to make decisions under challenging circumstances, balancing risk in order to improve quality and services.
• Strong commitment to safeguarding vulnerable customers.
• Professional and proactive approach.
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written.
• Excellent eye for, and attention to, detail.
• The ability to work effectively with staff and customers throughout the organisation. regardless of seniority or background.

Our client is built on diversity. Their ambition is to build an inclusive culture where diversity is embraced, and everyone feels safe, respected, valued and able to thrive as part of a winning, engaged team.

As part of our recruitment process, you will be required to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK. Documentary evidence will be requested at the interview stage.