Income Management Officer

Riverside•Town of Leicester, NY

4d•£31,601 - £34,754

About The Position

The Income Management Officer maximises and sustains rental income and other debts, including former tenant arrears, rechargeable repairs, garages and court costs. The role carries out collection and arrears-prevention activity, owns cases, and applies appropriate prevention and collection strategies to help prevent homelessness and sustain tenancies. The officer manages inbound and outbound calls and other customer contact, agrees and monitors affordable payment plans, takes payments, and provides customers and colleagues with advice and guidance on debt collection and arrears-prevention processes, including legal action. The role also manages legal-stage cases, prepares court documentation, assesses risks, works with Housing teams and other stakeholders, and contributes to continuous improvement while meeting data protection and health and safety requirements.

Requirements

Customer-focused, with excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to meet the needs of a varied customer base.
Experience working in a housing environment.
Effective negotiation skills, balancing business and customer requirements to reach mutually agreeable solutions.
A proven track record of problem solving.
Ability to remain calm in a pressurised environment.
Excellent attention to detail and ability to work under pressure, meet strict deadlines and manage conflicting priorities.
A strong team player who can work flexibly to meet business requirements.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in a debt collection call centre.

Responsibilities

Support delivery of the total debt management strategy through prevention, early intervention and effective arrears recovery.
Manage customer contact through inbound and outbound calls, text messages and other digital channels to carry out debt collection and arrears-prevention activity.
Manage customer accounts and use early intervention to minimise legal cases; participate in case reviews and consider measures to prevent evictions.
Own and manage legal-stage cases, prepare high-quality court documentation, work with Housing Officers and risk-assess legal actions.
Meet income performance targets for rent arrears recovery and other debts while working to sustain tenancies.
Use digital communication channels and workflow management systems to escalate decisions and direct tasks relating to debt collection, tenancy sustainment and arrears prevention.
Use data analysis, customer segmentation and profiling tools to identify likely payment patterns and target customer contact.
Work with Housing teams to review debt performance across Housing patches and agree appropriate action for customers with escalating arrears.
Advise customers on welfare reforms and Universal Credit, and signpost them to appropriate third-party support.
Take payments and review customers’ income and expenditure to establish affordable payment plans.
Identify vulnerable customers who may benefit from alternative payment arrangements and refer them to the appropriate Housing Officer or tenancy sustainment team.
Negotiate, agree, monitor and review affordable and sustainable payment plans in line with policy and processes.
Carry out appropriate checks, including welfare benefit checks, to determine the appropriate course of action.
Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to progress case management in line with standards, timescales and targets.
Contribute to continuous improvement of processes and procedures.
Respond flexibly to changing priorities and undertake other duties as needed to support the service.
Meet data protection, health and safety, policy, procedural and statutory requirements.