Assessment Officer

Salary range: Scale 6: £34,998 - £37,134 p.a. inclusive of London weighting
SO1: £37,692 - £39,276 p.a. inclusive of London weighting
Contract: Permanent
Hours of work: 36 hours per week
Location: Civic centre

About Brent

Brent is a tremendously vibrant London borough where the iconic arch of Wembley Stadium dominates the skyline. Spanning both inner and outer London, it is a borough of huge contrasts in terms of its economic, environmental, ethnic and social make up. Brent's diversity is evident to all who visit our borough and our long history of ethnic and cultural diversity has created a place that is truly unique and valued by those who live and work here. The council is pursuing a far-reaching transformation agenda that better meets the needs of our community so it is an exciting time to join us.

The Post

We are seeking a motivated and compassionate individual to work as an Assessment Officer within Resident Services to action applications relating to Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP), Resident Support Fund (RSF), Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support, Social Care financial assessments and concessionary travel or any other schemes the Council implements. You will be responsible for assessing applications, making informed decisions in line with legislation, guidance and local policy, and ensuring that public funds are used appropriately to prevent homelessness and alleviate hardship. The role involves working closely with residents, internal teams and external partners to provide holistic and timely support.

The Person

• Knowledge of Housing Benefit, Universal Credit, Discretionary Housing Payments, or local welfare schemes.
• Understanding of financial hardship, vulnerability and the impact of poverty on residents.
• Awareness of equality, diversity and safeguarding principles in service delivery.

Desirable

• Knowledge of Housing Benefit, Universal Credit housing costs, Discretionary Housing Payments or local welfare schemes.
• Understanding of homelessness prevention duties and related legislation.

Why join us?

• Up to 33 days annual leave (depending on length of service) plus bank holidays
• Excellent pension with generous employer contributions (LGPS)
• Hybrid and flexible working options available for most roles
• Supportive family-friendly policies for parents, guardians and carers
• Health and wellbeing support, including eye test support and a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Financial support such as education sessions, childcare deposit loans and season ticket loans
• Travel perks including affordable parking nearby, a Cycle to Work scheme and great onsite facilities
• Learning and development opportunities to help you grow your career
• Access to My Brent Rewards with exclusive discounts on shopping, travel, leisure and entertainment

Closing date: Wednesday 11 February 2026 (23:59)

Additional Information

If you are interested in applying for this job, please start by clicking the "Apply Now" button below. You must provide a supporting statement as part of your application that clearly shows how you meet the criteria on the Person Specification. We will accept a CV in support of your application, however, you should still provide a supporting statement.

Brent Council values the diversity of its community and aims to have a workforce that reflects this and therefore encourages applications from all sections of the community. We positively encourage all applicants to self-identify their characteristics in the diversity survey section of the application.

We are committed to safer recruitment and safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants should be aware that posts working with children, young people and vulnerable adults are subject to an Enhanced DBS check as well as other employment clearances.

The information we collect from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice and other seriously improper conduct. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas and your data protection rights can be found here.

Brent has a positive approach to flexible working.

As a disability confident employer Brent welcomes applications from people with all disabilities, including "non-visible" disabilities and mental health conditions. We will interview any disabled applicant who meets the essential criteria. If you require reasonable adjustments to be made to any part of the recruitment process due to your disability, please contact us.