DBS - Armed Forces Pensions Caseworker (EO)

Are you a dedicated person who is passionate about making a difference?

Would you like to work for the Ministry of Defence?

Defence Business Services (DBS) is one of the largest shared service organisations in Europe that provides a wide range of corporate services, to over 1.2 million end users, including serving and past military and families, as well as MoD civil servants and industry.

DBS delivers large scale administration and smaller specialist services to enable the wider MOD to focus on its core aims, maintaining the UK’s Defence and Security. Services include Human Resources, Pay, Veterans, Finance and Procurement.

Vision - To be the best shared service centre in Government

Mission - Proudly delivering excellence in shared services, through customer centric solutions to enable Defence outcomes

DBS is committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues. We are building an inclusive culture and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society.

We want to maximise the potential of everyone who chooses to work for us through opportunities to develop your skills and experience. We also offer a range of flexible working patterns and support to make a fulfilling career accessible to you and offer a Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%. Where your role permits, we support a blended working approach alternatively known as hybrid working.

DBS is part of The National Armaments Directorate (NAD) Group which is at the heart of delivering and sustaining the UK’s defence capability. Bringing together organisations responsible for developing, procuring, supporting and modernising Defence equipment, infrastructure and services, the Directorate works closely with industry, international partners and academia to ensure the Armed Forces have the capabilities they need to deter threats, protect the nation and succeed on operations. NAD drives innovation, operational readiness and value for money while supporting economic growth and strengthening the UK’s defence industrial base.

Come and join the DBS community today!

https://youtu.be/gUw0ToaRGgk

This role is advertised as 37 hours per week.

This is a Fixed-term Appointment as an Armed Forces Pensions Caseworker in the MoD Armed Forces Pensions Authority. Your responsibilities will be as described in this job advert. This post will therefore begin on your appointment and end 2 years after that date. You should be aware that when your Fixed-term Appointment at MOD comes to an end, arrangements will be made in line with the FTA policy.

If you are a permanent MoD civil servant and are found successful for an advertised Fixed-term Appointment (FTA) you should move into the post under a Temporary Transfer (for up to a maximum of 23 months). At the end of the posting you will return to your previous MoD Business area. If this posting is at a higher grade, your promotion will be temporary, and you will return to your substantive grade at the end of the Temporary Transfer. If a Temporary Transfer cannot be agreed between all parties then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA and Change of Work Location in the UK policy for further information.

If you are transferring to MoD from another government department (OGD) you should join the MoD on an inward loan. At the end of the loan you will return to your home (OGD) department. If a loan cannot be agreed between all parties then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA policy for further information.

About the Role

MoD Armed Forces Pensions Authority are responsible for the administration and oversight of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS). This team provides policy interpretation, discretionary decision-making and oversight of BAU administration delivered by our business partner.

A role exists within the MoD Armed Forces Pensions Authority team to undertake complex pension casework, complaint investigations and appeals. The role involves analysing pension scheme rules and legislation, investigating disputes, responding to complex enquiries and ensuring members and their dependants receive accurate and timely decisions.

This is an excellent opportunity for individuals with strong analytical, investigative and written communication skills who can assess complex information and explain decisions clearly and professionally.

During the initial training period (typically 3-6 months), successful candidates will be required to attend the office full-time for training, mentoring and peer support. Following this period, hybrid working arrangements may be considered, subject to business need and departmental policy.

Main Responsibilities

• Investigate and determine complex pension complaints and appeals, including complex Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure (IDRP) cases.
• Review evidence, pension records, legislation and policy to establish the facts of each case and provide well-reasoned decisions.
• Draft clear, accurate and professional written responses to members, dependants, representatives and other stakeholders.
• Liaise with pension administrators and policy staff to resolve complex or sensitive cases.
• Identify errors, risks or process improvements arising from casework and escalate issues where appropriate.
• Manage a personal caseload, ensuring work is completed accurately and within service standards.
• Maintain high standards of customer service when dealing with members, dependants and their representatives.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to share knowledge and deliver operational objectives.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Please ensure that at the application and interview stages of the campaign you review the Success Profiles Framework to assist you in the demonstration of your skills and experience.

Your suitability for the role will be assessed using the Success Profile elements that have been chosen for this campaign. Each element will be scored accordingly, and the successful candidate will be appointed on merit.

Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience.

At sift, candidates will be assessed against their CV and the following

• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership

At interview, candidates will be assessed against the following:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership

Applications will be sifted on all Success Profile elements, but in the event of a high number of applications, the sift will be conducted on the following success profile elements:

Primary: Behaviour - Making Effective Decisions

In the rare case where individuals have exact matching scores, the order of merit will be determined based on the behaviour scores at interview in the following order:

1 - Behaviour - Making Effective Decisions

2 - Behaviour - Managing a Quality Service

3 - Behaviour - Communicating and Influencing

4 - Behaviour - Leadership

5 - Career - Job History

6 - Career - Qualification Details

7 - Career - Previous Skills

If candidate scores are still exact, the merit order will then be determined on the sift score in the following order:

1 - Behaviour - Making Effective Decisions

2 - Behaviour - Managing a Quality Service

3 - Behaviour - Communicating and Influencing

4 - Behaviour - Leadership

5 - Career - Job History

6 - Career - Qualification Details

7 - Career - Previous Skills

Sift start date: Late November

Interviews are currently taking place via the following method: MS Teams

Interview start date: Early-Mid December

Further information:

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system.

Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.