This week’s non-job has been fed to us by a supporter, Donald Grant. Epping Forest District Council is advertising for an ‘overpayments officer’. Mr. Grant made an interesting comment in the email he sent us: ‘why don’t they just get it right in the first place?’ It’s one thing that the council admits to handing out benefit overpayments, but it adds insult to injury when taxpayers have to subsidise an officer just to oversee reclamation of benefit overpayments. Let’s face it; anything they do get back won’t even come clear to covering the cost it takes to employ an overpayments officer.
Here’s the non-job of the week advert from Epping Council’s website:
“Overpayments Officer
£18,735 – £20,364
A vacancy has also arisen for an Overpayment Officer to work as part of a team concentrating on the recovery of overpayments of Housing Benefit. You must have experience of working either within a Benefit Section or in a revenue collection capacity and preferably have a good knowledge of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit legislation. For both posts, it is essential that you have good computer skills, excellent communication skills, a conscientious and methodical approach to work and a commitment to delivering a quality customer service. You should have at least 5 GCSEs at grade C or above or equivalent, including English and Maths, and have a good standard of written English”
Clearly the need for these jobs shows how complicated the tax and benefits system has become. If councils are getting it wrong in the first place, what makes them so sure the overpayments department are going to get it right second time round. We clearly need a simpler tax and benefit system. Join the campaign and write to the Epping Forest Guardian about this non-job and the wider campaign for a simpler, lower tax system:
Letters Editor
The Epping Forest Guardian
8 Simon Campion Court,
High Street,
Epping,
Essex,
CM16 4AU,
United Kingdom
You can send in the letter electronically on their website here.