Housing & Debt Adviser (PT) CRF

Through Crisis Resilience Fund (Cost of Living) funding, Dacorum Citizens Advice are recruiting a qualified, experienced Housing & Debt Adviser to join our friendly team to deliver housing and debt advice to Dacorum residents with Cost of Living issues, largely in person and also by phone & email. This is an office based role in Hemel Hempstead.

The successful applicant will have recent experience of giving generalist advice to clients, including benefits advice as it relates to housing matters and budgeting and debt advice including income maximisation. Ideally, Money & Pension Service (MaPs) or IMA trained, although debt training can be provided for the right candidate. This is an ideal opportunity for someone who has knowledge and experience of housing law, giving advice, and is looking for the opportunity to further develop their skills, as further housing training can be provided for the right candidate.

The Housing & Debt Adviser will support clients with advice and support to act and negotiate with third parties as appropriate, for example:

Homelessness applications and appeals

Challenging other decisions eg LA points allocation, tenancy demotion

Advising clients facing eviction by; challenging validity of S8 notices, challenging retaliatory or other illegal evictions, liaising with social housing and private landlords and their agents to prevent evictions, assisting clients with completion of court forms to challenge, suspend or dismiss proceedings

Disrepair

Complaints to Housing Providers through to Housing/Local Government Ombudsman services

Refer or signpost clients to other advisers or specialist agencies as appropriate.