Crisis Payment Officer

Job detailsDetails

Title: Crisis Payment Officer

Reference: SCC/TP/287930/5785

Positions: 2

Salary: £34,660 per annum

Category: Public Health

Contract type: Fixed term

Working hours: 36 hours per week

Posted on: 28 August 2026

Closing date: 20 September 2026

Directorate: Adults, Wellbeing & Health Partnerships

Location: Dakota Building, 11 De Havilland Drive, Weybridge, KT13 0YP

Description

We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

The starting salary for this role is £34,660 per annum, based on a 36 hour working week. This is a fixed term contract up until March 31st 2029.

We are hiring two Crisis Payment Officers (formerly known as Crisis Fund Officer) to join our fantastic new Community Service. We support hybrid working with the right balance. We come together in person for 2 days per week on average (40% of the working week) and support working from home arrangements. The team works flexibly across Surrey County Council officers but are primarily based in Dakota, Weybridge. Office base will stay the same until vesting day, after which time one post will go West and the other East.

Our Offer to You

26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service (pro-rated for part time opportunities)

Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave

A generous local government salary related pension

Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year

Paternity, adoption and dependents leave

An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing

Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping

A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents

About the Service

The Communities Service at Surrey County Council is committed to fostering vibrant and resilient communities where everyone can flourish. We aim to strengthen the feeling of community across Surrey, so that more people are participating, engaging and living a healthy and fulfilled life. To help ensure no one is left behind. Our focus is on empowering communities, so people feel connected, and confident they have a say over the places in which they live and the services they use.

About the role

We are seeking an enthusiastic and experienced individual to join our team as a Crisis Payment Officer, where you will be focusing on the distribution of the Crisis Payments to residents across Surrey. Your role will be essential in delivering a vital fund that will benefit many residents who are struggling with financial hardship.

You will provide timely support of applications in conjunction with the wider crisis payment team to distribute the household support fund to residents. Part of this support will be assessing the application for welfare provision and making a decision on whether the application should be approved and awarding a monetary value in the form of an e-voucher.

As a Crisis Payment Officer, you will be responsible for assessing applications in a timely fashion, delivering at pace recommendations and speaking with residents on a daily basis to unblock any potential issues with an application. You'll do this by:

Assess applications for the Crisis Payment Scheme.

Ensure timely and fair distribution of financial aid to residents in risk of financial hardship.

Maintain accurate records of applications, decisions, and outcomes.

Ensure all activity aligns with DWP guidance and local grant conditions

Contribute to regular monitoring and reporting to demonstrate impact and ensure transparency.

Provide empathetic, non-judgmental support to residents in distress.

Signpost to other services where appropriate to prevent going into crisis

The role has a large impact on residents with the opportunities to impact lives on a daily basis.

Shortlisting criteria

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:

Strong decision-making skills with a practical, solutions-focused mindset

Excellent time management and ability to prioritise effectively

Proficient in IT with a proven ability to quickly learn new systems

Confident communicator with strong interpersonal and customer service skills

Thrives in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and remains calm under pressure

If you are passionate about building strong partnerships and making a difference in the community, we would love to hear from you.