About Haringey

Haringey is a fantastic place to live and work – the world in one borough. A place brimming with creativity, personality, radicalism, and community. It is a place where we stand up for each other. A place that is proudly distinctive. We’ll be celebrating all this and more as the “rebel borough” when we are the 2027 London Borough of Culture. Our history champions change-makers and everyday rebels; revelling in our differences, battling discrimination, championing equality, and doing things our own way. Haringey’s people are a huge asset, with knowledge, expertise, and passion. Our staff members embody our organisational values: Caring, Creative, Courageous, Collaborative and Community-focused. These values keep us looking forward, ambitious for the future, and continuously striving to do our very best for all of our residents.

About the role

The Corporate Debt Team specialises in recovering sundry debts across a varied ledger, including Housing Benefit Overpayments. Over recent years, the team has demonstrated solid and hard-earned progress, bolstered by innovative activities. There is a strong sense of collective ownership and responsibility within the team. The service remains ambitious, striving to improve further and continue building effective relationships with its customers and partners.

Our Corporate Debt Team requires an experienced and highly skilled Income Recovery Officer to assist in the collection of debt across a varied Sundry Debt ledger and Housing Benefit Overpayments. The role demands an empathetic and holistic approach to debt recovery, considering the vulnerability of the Haringey Housing Benefit and Social Care client base. Responsibilities include proactively pursuing debts through telephone or written communication and/or legal action, ensuring objectives and targets are met within designated timeframes, and providing advice and guidance to internal and external services on debt management. Additionally, the officer must understand and comply with council Debt Policies and relevant legislation.

Working for Haringey

At Haringey Council we are committed to creating a workplace culture where all our people feel valued, included, and able to be their best at work, and we recognise the benefits of a diverse workforce so welcome applications from all ethnicities and communities so that we continue to make a difference to our residents and community.  Our benefits package includes a leave entitlement of 30 days + bank holidays, potential hybrid working opportunities, health and wellbeing support, a generous local government pension scheme and a range of discount schemes across leisure and culture that provide both financial and money-saving discounts.

About you

The ideal candidate should possess the following qualifications and skills: educated to GCSE level, including Maths and English, with experience in using either the SAP system or Northgate Housing Benefit system, I possess a good knowledge of debt legislation concerning the collection of Housing Benefit Overpayments and Social Care, and the ability to apply it. I am proficient in using Microsoft Office applications, including Excel and Word, and have excellent verbal and written communication skills. With strong attention to detail and accuracy, I can work independently on assigned duties and demonstrate good negotiation skills. Additionally, I can manage a variety of priorities while meeting deadlines.

About the team

Our team of Income Recovery Officers is a dynamic and diverse group of professionals dedicated to financial recovery and customer service excellence. We pride ourselves on our collaborative approach to problem-solving and our commitment to achieving outstanding results for our organisation. With diverse expertise, our team brings together a range of backgrounds and experiences, allowing us to tackle challenges from multiple perspectives. We believe in the power of teamwork and actively support each other to achieve our common goals. In a fast-paced environment, we thrive on adaptability and are always ready to take on new challenges. Upholding the highest standards of professionalism, we prioritise integrity, respect, and ethical conduct in all our interactions. We also encourage innovative thinking and creative solutions to drive continuous improvement in our income recovery processes. If you are looking to be part of a diverse and collaborative team that values teamwork, innovation, and excellence, we invite you to apply and contribute to our success in income recovery.