Oakley Recruitment is working in partnership with a well-established organisation based in Birmingham as a Protection Claims Assessor on a 12 Month FTC. Culture and Environment Our clients culture is vibrant and driven, the team are passionate about the customer journey and enjoy working to their own personal and professional targets. The behaviours of the team are supportive and respectful and they enjoy supporting one another, they regularly have team incentives and are always up for a social. Personality You will be responsible for assessing and actively managing new and ongoing Income protection claims, ensuring accurate application of relevant policy conditions. You will have a positive attitude towards change and challenging approach to work practices with the ability to work on own initiative and look for innovative ways to gather evidence to make sound decisions regarding acceptance and continuance of income protection claims. Reward Annual Performance based Bonus – based on a mixture of company and personal performance 28 days annual leave (plus 1 additional “culture day” & bank holidays) – increases to 30 days with 5 years’ service Company pension scheme - matched plus 2% (up to 10%) Free secure underground Birmingham city centre parking (available on weekends for personal use – subject to availability) Cashback and discounts on major brands in retail, leisure, health, and wellbeing Enhanced maternity & paternity pay 2 volunteering days per year Duties & Responsibilities Understanding and accurately interpreting a wide range of Income protection product contract wordings and be able to assess a claim through to payment and/or resolution Ability to interpret medical evidence, confidently challenging medical officers/doctors Ability to accurately interpret financial accounts and extrapolate relevant information for ongoing calculation of benefit level To probe/challenge medical and financial evidence Making informed decisions whilst remaining logical and objectively focused Maintaining a broad understanding of medical terminology Dealing with complaints or appeals to terminate or decline a claim, which can include correspondence with Solicitors or the Financial Ombudsman Service Comprehending and implementing timely claim reviews adopting innovative approach where necessary Understanding and differentiating between the requirements associated with different types of claims: incapacity pension, waiver, critical illness, income protection Understanding reassurance treaties applying to the portfolio and comply with terms and conditions of the agreement Confident in explaining decisions both verbally and written Skills and experience Excellent communication skills including ability to produce free form letters that can be of a technical nature from a medical, financial or contractual basis Have an organised and flexible approach to work Proven claims management techniques in relation to income protection and critical illness products Ability to make sound claims management decisions on the basis of medical and financial evidence. Ability to produce persuasive arguments with supporting evidence to challenge Financial Ombudsman and legal advisers acting for the customer. Capacity to learn, absorb and analyse detailed information and refer to in depth medical reports and financial evidence Please Note: We do not contact or write to unsuccessful candidates. If we have not contacted you within 48 hours of your application, you should presume that your application was unsuccessful. By applying for this vacancy, you are permitting for Oakley Recruitment to contact you and retain your details. In compliance with the regulations (April 2004) in place under the employment agencies act, Oakley Recruitment will require proof of identification. A copy of your passport, birth certificate and NI number will be required, as part of your interview process.