Rate: £32 per hour umbrella
Term: 3 months
Hours per week: 35
We are looking to recruit an experienced Appeals Officer to provide short -term specialist capacity to progress a defined set of Housing Benefit appeals relating to Specified Accommodation (Exempt Accommodation).
Many of the appeals are identical and will be progressed using a test case approach (i.e., preparing a sample of cases for submission to the First -tier Tribunal, with consistent submissions/bundles to support the wider cohort).
Due to the length of the contract (3 Months), the postholder is not expected to represent the Council at First -tier Tribunal hearings. The focus of the role is on preparing Tribunal -ready submissions and bundles to the required standard and timescales.
Key responsibilities
1. Review and manage a defined caseload of Housing Benefit appeals relating to Specified / Exempt Accommodation.
2. Prepare First -tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber) documentation, including (as appropriate):
a. Statements of Case / written submissions
b. Evidence schedules and indexed, paginated bundles
c. Chronologies and issue summaries
d. Consistent “test case” submission packs where appeals are identical
3. Ensure submissions meet Tribunal expectations and statutory/procedural deadlines.
4. Maintain accurate case notes/records on relevant systems and ensure information governance requirements are met.
Requirements
/
Essential knowledge and experience
1. Substantial experience in Housing Benefit administration, with a strong focus on appeals or dispute resolution.
2. Proven experience preparing appeals for the First -tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber), including drafting submissions and compiling evidence bundles.
3. Strong working knowledge of Specified Accommodation / Exempt Accommodation, including the care, support and supervision tests and how to evidence findings.
4. Ability to interpret and apply Housing Benefit legislation, relevant guidance and case law to produce defensible decisions and submissions.
5. Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to draft clear, structured and legally robust documents.
6. Strong organisational skills, able to work at pace, manage deadlines, and prioritise to deliver outputs within a short fixed -term assignment.
Desirable experience
1. Experience dealing with appeals involving Community Interest Companies (CICs), including issues such as contrivance, commerciality, and breach of asset lock arguments.
2. Experience supporting a lead/test case strategy across multiple linked appeals.
The role will cease once identified Housing Benefit Specified Accommodation appeals have been prepared and submitted to Tribunal.
Benefits
We believe employee benefits should go beyond just a free drink
or fruit bowl. What’s more, we believe you should get to choose perks
that suit your lifestyle. That’s why we’ve partnered up with the
global benefits and rewards provider Perkbox, to offer something for
all of our people.
Here’s what you can look forward to:
Perks Hub
- Hundreds of global and local perks, available online 24/7
- Free monthly lifestyle perks; such as free coffees,
breakfasts, cinema tickets, etc
- Shopping discounts from the biggest brands, all year round
- Save money on everything from the supermarket shop to summer holidays
Wellness Hub
- Easy to follow videos for everything from yoga exercises, to
strength training and HIIT workouts
- Mindfulness, meditation and sleep resources, available on all
your devices
- Guides to help with everything from anxiety to stopping smoking
- Confidential mental health helpline, 24/7 access to a
qualified counsellor
Celebration Hub
Working with us means you're always part of Team BSS - celebrate
and recognise fellow contractors, whether they're across the desk or
across the world
Company polls where everybody can vote for the winners
Culture Hub
- A single place to find company updates, photos, benefits
information and lots more!
- Stay in the loop with what’s happening by accessing Culture
hub anywhere, at any time
Pre -Compliance Checks for Successful Applicants:
At BSS, we uphold the highest standards of screening and trust
for every role. Successful applicants will undergo a comprehensive
pre -compliance process in line with the Baseline Personnel Security
Standard (BPSS). This includes:
- Identity Verification: Confirming
the authenticity of your identity documents.
- Employment History
Checks: Reviewing your occupation history for the past
3 -5 years (depending on client requirement).
- Right to Work
Verification: Ensuring you have the legal
right to work in the UK.
- Unspent Conviction Check: Conducting a Basic DBS
Check to reveal any unspent convictions.
These checks are crucial in ensuring a secure and trustworthy
work collaboration, aligning with best practices used in government
and public sectors. While primarily standard in these sectors, our
adoption of pre -compliance checks across all roles reflects our
commitment to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and trust
in our recruitment process.
Equal Opportunities
Business Smart Solutions are a Recruitment Agency - We hire
talented and passionate people from a variety of backgrounds because
we want our global worker base to represent the wide diversity of our
clients. If you’re excited about a role but your past experience
doesn’t align perfectly with every bullet point listed in the job
description, we still encourage you to apply. If you're passionate
about working for a role in local government and share our company
values, we encourage you to apply.
BSS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not
discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race,
color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy,
childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry,
physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status,
gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable
legally protected characteristic. BSS considers qualified applicants
with criminal histories, consistent with applicable UK law. If you
need assistance or an accommodation made due to a disability, please
let your recruiter know.
Armed Forces Covenant
We endeavour in our business dealings to uphold the key
principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, which are:
- No member of the Armed Forces Community should
face disadvantage in the provision of public and commercial
services compared to any other citizen
- In some circumstances special treatment may be
appropriate especially for the injured or bereaved.
Salary :
Apply Now
Activate JobCopilot
Your email job alert is now active!