Local government revenues officer
Revenues and benefits officers work for local councils and deal with housing benefits, rents, council tax and business rates.
What you'll do
Day-to-day tasks
In your day-to-day tasks you could:
- calculate rents, council tax and business rates
- send out bills and reminders
- collect and process payments
- recover rent and council tax arrears
- arrange legal action against debtors
- get money back from customers who have been overpaid
- attend court
Working environment
You could work in an office.
Career path and progression
With experience and qualifications you could progress into senior roles, including fraud investigations, property valuation or management.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
- administration skills
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work well with others
- the ability to work on your own
- business management skills
- to be flexible and open to change
- excellent verbal communication skills
- customer service skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to become
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- applying directly
You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in a subject like public administration or business administration, although it's not essential.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
More Information
You could do a college course, which would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you need in this job. Relevant subjects include a Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Business and Administration.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
More Information
You can get into this job through a revenue and welfare benefits practitioner higher apprenticeship.
This typically takes around 12 months to complete and is a mix of workplace learning and study.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship
More Information
You could start as an administrative assistant and work your way up with training on the job. For example, by taking courses offered by the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation.
You can apply directly for jobs. Employers will expect you to have:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including English and maths
- experience in customer service, especially in accounts and finance, or in local government
Some employers may ask you to sit assessment tests to check that you have the skills needed for the job.
If you are a graduate, you can apply for a place on the Local Government Association National Graduate Development Programme.
Further information
You can find out more about working and training in local government finance through the Local Government Association.
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External links
This page contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.