Apprentice Revenues and Welfare Benefits Officer
Southampton City Council
Hampshire (SO14 7LY)
Closes in 11 days (Tuesday 25 November 2025)
Posted on 12 November 2025
Contents
Summary
We have an exciting opportunity for an Apprentice Revenues and Welfare Benefits Officer, to join us on a fixed-term contract for 15 months to join Southampton City Council (SCC) in the Finance Billing and Benefits Team.
- Wage
-
Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)
At Southampton City Council we are committed to paying Foundation Living Wage as a minimum and we believe apprentices should also be paid fairly. The salary is £24,795.
- Training course
- Revenues and welfare benefits practitioner (level 4)
- Hours
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Monday to Friday, 9.00am - 5.00pm - some potential flexibility required.
37 hours a week
- Start date
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Monday 5 January 2026
- Duration
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1 year 3 months
- Positions available
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1
Work
Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.
What you'll do at work
- Assist in processing and making timely decisions regarding billing, benefits, and appointeeship, in line with legislation, policies, and service targets.
- Support the corporate appointee function by helping oversee benefit access, maintenance, and reviews for individuals unable to manage their finances, with regular guidance and supervision.
- Participate in investigations by gathering information from customers, internal/external departments, and stakeholders, with support in communicating outcomes.
- Accurately input, update, and retrieve billing, benefit, and appointee information, following established office practices and procedures, with oversight.
- Build and maintain effective working relationships with internal stakeholders to help maximise benefits and discounts uptake.
Where you'll work
Civic Centre
Southampton
Hampshire
SO14 7LY
Training
Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.
Training provider
THE INSTITUTE OF REVENUES, RATING AND VALUATION
Training course
Revenues and welfare benefits practitioner (level 4)
Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Consistently deal with customers politely and considerately, adapting your approach to meet customer and employer needs
- Achieve outcomes that the customer wants where possible. Where this is not possible, explain the reasons why. Evaluate and recommend alternative options
- Obtain all required information in the most effective way to allow tasks to be completed, considering each customers individual circumstances
- Interpret and evaluate all information to determine the relevant details for the required task
- Interpret and evaluate information to judge whether there is potential fraud indicated. Refer to the appropriate department where required
- Determine whether a dispute should lead to a change of decision and explain the reasons, using appropriate legislation
- Handle sensitive information securely and in line with current legislative requirements
- Analyse and use information and legislation to calculate amounts due when a customer first contacts your department (e.g. new claims or new accounts)
- Analyse and use information and legislation to correctly deal with changes in customers circumstances, recalculating amounts due where required
- Provide justification for any inferences drawn from available information
- Decide on the best method of recovery by evaluating the customers circumstances. Act on this judgment to start recovery of amounts due
- Use judgement to deal correctly with non-routine situations that arise
- Adapt your communication style and method to meet the individuals needs
- Communicate confidently by being personable, asking insightful questions and being able to negotiate effectively and respectfully
- Undertake activities to ensure knowledge stays current
- Take appropriate action within the limits of your authority to solve problems or make relevant colleagues aware of them
- Make accurate decisions based on the information available
- Support team members to achieve the best outcome for the team
- Request assistance or authorisation when required
- Communicate with other departments to achieve required outcomes
- Proficiently use the systems available to achieve tasks
- Refer to processes to determine the action to be taken
- Evaluate the customers financial position, assisting with personal budgeting where appropriate, or directing the customer to appropriate support
Training schedule
- Level 4 Revenues and Welfare Benefits practitioner apprenticeship Standard
- Functional skills if required
Requirements
Essential qualifications
GCSE in:
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
Skills
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Attention to detail
- Organisation skills
- Administrative skills
- Number skills
- Analytical skills
- Logical
- Team working
- Initiative
- Patience
About this employer
Being part of the Southampton City Council team requires people who are willing to take personal responsibility for delivering excellence, to work with others to achieve the best possible outcomes, to embrace change and new opportunities, to make the most of the resources available to us and to think and act in the best interests of our customers. Southampton City Council are responsible for providing a number of services to the residents of Southampton including waste, housing, benefits, libraries, community support, marriages etc. and our aim is to give our customers the best service possible.
https://www.southampton.gov.uk/ (opens in new tab)
Disability Confident
A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.
You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.
After this apprenticeship
The Level 4 Revenues and Welfare Benefits practitioner apprenticeship will give the candidate the opportunity to move further through the council.
Ask a question
The contact for this apprenticeship is:
THE INSTITUTE OF REVENUES, RATING AND VALUATION
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000000342.
Apply now
Closes in 11 days (Tuesday 25 November 2025)
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