We have an excellent opportunity for 2 Recovery Officers to join our Income & Assessments team at Wokingham Borough Council on a Full-time, Permanent basis.

As a Recovery Officer, you will help maximise income for the Council through the effective recovery of Council Tax, Business Rates, Adult Social Care charges, Housing Benefit overpayments and sundry debts. Combining proactive debt recovery with helpful, courteous customer service, you will agree appropriate repayment arrangements and support residents experiencing financial difficulty.

Working with colleagues and external partners, you will manage a varied workload, maintain accurate customer records and apply relevant recovery legislation and procedures. You will also contribute to service improvements, reporting and effective collection processes.

Experience in Adult Social Care debt recovery is particularly desirable for one of the roles. We will welcome applications from candidates who can combine sound recovery knowledge with clear communication and a constructive approach to resolving outstanding debts.

Staff Benefits

Not only is this an excellent opportunity, but it’s a fantastic time to join our team. You will receive an extensive range of employee benefits including:

• Generous Annual Leave – 28 days annual leave (rising by 5 days after 5 years of continued local government service), plus bank holidays

• Local Government Pension Scheme

• GP Helpline - Available 7 days a week

• Employee Assistance Programme - Including a 24/7 Your Care Helpline

• Free Eye Tests and Flu Vaccines

• Free Onsite Gym - Located at Shute End Offices, Wokingham

• Salary Sacrifice Schemes - Including Car and Cycle to Work schemes

• Local & Lifestyle Discounts - Save on shopping, entertainment, dining out & more

• Move through Menopause Course

• Sports & Social Group Activities – Including running, football, cricket & more

• Learning & Development Opportunities

• Employee Networks

• And more!

Key Responsibilities:

• Proactively recover outstanding Council Tax, Business Rates, Adult Social Care and sundry debts through telephone calls, emails and correspondence.
• Progress Council Tax and Business Rates cases from summons stage onwards, contacting customers and agreeing appropriate payment arrangements.
• Review income and expenditure information and relevant discounts or exemptions to support sustainable repayment plans.
• Maintain accurate customer records, recovery monitoring codes and effective system controls.
• Produce monitoring reports, support progress against collection targets and prepare cases for write-off where appropriate.
• Apply relevant legislation and procedures, working with internal teams, care providers, collection partners and advice organisations.
• Help improve working practices, maintain procedure notes and contribute to an efficient, high-quality recovery service.

Candidate Requirements:

• A good understanding of recovery processes and relevant legislation across Council Tax, Business Rates, Adult Social Care, sundry debt and Housing Benefit overpayments.
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise a busy workload and produce accurate work to tight deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, adapting your approach to residents, businesses and other stakeholders.
• Good IT skills, the ability to assess information and a commitment to continuous professional development.
• Experience in a revenues or debt recovery environment, knowledge of NEC (Northgate) and Information@Work systems, and previous Court Officer experience.

Our Area:

Wokingham Borough is set in the heart of Berkshire with excellent transport links to Reading and central London. Our area comprises of a vibrant and historical market town, attractive villages, and miles of beautiful countryside.

We’re home to a range of high performing schools, a host of international businesses and an incredible community. The borough has a strong local economy with accelerated growth, a range of excellent public facilities and low levels of crime, offering an exceptional quality of life.

Click the link below and Apply Today! Alternatively, to arrange an informal discussion about the role, contact Rebecca Duckworth via email Rebecca.Duckworth@wokingham.gov.uk (Strictly no agencies)

Closing date: 11pm, Sunday 22nd November 2026

Interview date: TBC

AI in Applications:

We recognise that candidates may choose to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support the preparation of their job applications. When used appropriately, AI can be a helpful aid in structuring responses, checking clarity, and improving presentation.

However, applications must reflect your own skills, experience and understanding. If an application appears to rely excessively on AI-generated content, it may not meet the required standard and could be rejected.

We encourage all applicants to ensure their submissions are authentic, tailored to the role, and clearly demonstrate their own knowledge, experience and suitability.

If your application is shortlisted for an interview, you will be required to provide proof of your right to work in the UK at that stage. Additionally, successful candidates must present proof upon receiving a job offer.

Please note that all offers are conditional and subject to the satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks.

Please be aware that we will be reviewing the applications we receive on a daily basis, and we reserve the right to close the advert early if suitable candidates are identified.

Wokingham Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff, other workers and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be required to undertake a Basic Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check, alongside other relevant pre-employment checks.

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we regret that we are unable to respond to every applicant individually.

If you do not hear from us within 4 weeks of the application closing date, please assume that your application has not been successful on this occasion.

We appreciate your interest in joining Wokingham Borough Council and thank you for taking the time to apply.

Wokingham is an equal opportunities employer.