Vacancy Information

The salary advertised is full time (35 hours per week). Part-time hours will be pro-rated accordingly.

Hourly rate of pay: £16.70 - £17.84

Days and Hours of Work:
Working between Monday - Friday, 09:00-17:00
Days of working are negotiable, starting and finishing times are flexible, and flexi time is applicable.
To start asap.

East Lothian Council is seeking a motivated and customer-focused Financial Support Officer to join our Financial Support Team. You will play a key role in delivering vital financial assistance services, helping residents access benefits and support while ensuring compliance with legislation and Council policies.

Key Responsibilities

Process claims for Council Tax Reduction and Housing Benefit
Assess and make decisions on Scottish Welfare Fund applications (Crisis & Community Care Grants)
Provide advice and respond to customer enquiries across multiple communication channels, including complex or challenging situations
Identify and report wellbeing concerns, including safeguarding and financial abuse
Maintain accurate records, perform system checks, and support reporting and service improvement
Manage overpayments and recovery
Work collaboratively with colleagues and partners to deliver high-quality, customer-focused services

You will have:

Education to Higher level / NC / SVQ2 (or equivalent experience)
Experience in an office or customer service environment, including dealing with challenging situations
Strong communication, organisational, and IT skills
The ability to work accurately, manage workloads, and meet deadlines
A commitment to confidentiality, teamwork, and continuous improvement

Additional Information

Occasional travel and home visits are required

Why Join Us?

Be part of a supportive team that is customer-focused, collaborative, and committed to making a difference in the community.

Home / Hybrid Working Consideration
Applications for home or hybrid working will be considered for this post in accordance with East Lothian Council’s Home Working and Worksmart Policies which can be found here. Home or Hybrid working options can be discussed with candidates invited for interview.

Please Note:
All home/hybrid workers must live in the UK. Where an application for home-working is supported, it will be subject to a satisfactory trial period. Employees will be expected to attend Council offices for the duration of induction, and be on site in East Lothian workplaces, as required. Employees with a hybrid working arrangement in place will be office based and able to work from home, with permission, on an ad hoc basis.

Job Details

The Financial Support Officer contributes to an efficient and effective financial support service, promotes accountability and transparency, ensuring best value and quality of service delivery, and upholds the council's commitment to providing the correct benefits to the correct people at the correct time while adhering to established policies and standards.

Please download the Job Outline/Person Specification (available under 'Job Attachments') for the full range of tasks and duties associated with this job. You will need to refer to these in order to complete the application form. You must ensure you meet every 'essential' criteria stated on the Person Specification to be considered for interview.

The ‘East Lothian Way’– values and behaviours we expect our employees to demonstrate in their everyday work. Should you be invited to interview, you may be asked questions based on these behaviours. Please refer to the document via the link to familiarise yourself with them.

Job Requirements

Relevant Qualifications
Educated to ‘Higher’ level, NC or SVQ2 or equivalent or able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge, skills and competencies gained through previous experience.

Driving Licence
A full current driving licence is desirable for this post.

Level 1 Disclosure Clearance
This role requires Level 1 Disclosure Clearance to allow access to the Public Sector Network. ELC will submit a Police Act Disclosure application on behalf of the preferred candidate and receipt of the subsequent certificate will be required prior to commencement.

Please note:
If you have spent more than 3 months working or living out with the UK in the last 5 years then you will also be required to present a copy of an overseas criminal record check. Details of how to apply and contact details can be found on the GOV.UK website.

Additional Information

For additional East Lothian Council employment information please click on the following link:
www.eastlothian.gov.uk/nonteachinginfo

If you have any difficulties creating an account on MyJobScotland or applying for this post please contact the MyJobScotland support team via this link https://www.myjobscotland.gov.uk/contact-us.

If you require further information about this vacancy, please call 01620 827868, or email us on recruitment@eastlothian.gov.uk

Please note: We do not accept CV's (either electronically or by mail). All our vacancies must be applied for by fully completing the on-line application form. Although there is an ‘import data from my CV’ function on MyJobScotland, this only imports very limited data and should not be relied upon to complete the application form. If, for example, due to a disability, you are unable to complete the on-line application form you can contact us for a paper application via the telephone number or email address above.

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