Staff will study for the NVQ in housing and council tax benefits while they work.
David Magor, director of the Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation, which will administer the qualification, said the NVQ should improve staff retention and skills.
He said: "It's linked to getting more people into benefits and reducing the massive cost burden of agency staff on local authorities."
Work and pensions minister Malcolm Wicks, who is also a former minister for lifelong learning, said: "Benefits are clearly an important public service. We need to do more to skill the workforce and this is a major step in the right direction."
The course will be offered through 11 assessment centres across the country. The IRRV is awaiting approval for the Scottish equivalent of the qualification, the SVQ.
Edinburgh council has been running a pilot scheme since 2001. Staff must now do the SVQ to be promoted to the top levels of their job.
Revenues manager Alistair Nairn said: "Managers say some of their best staff only joined 18 months ago but have been through the training towards the SVQ. We are already reaping the dividends."
He said it was too early to know whether the pilot had improved staff retention.
n The 10 councils that will pilot a new system of paying a flat rate of housing benefit direct to tenants have been confirmed.
Nine of them were among the 10 councils invited by the Department of Work and Pensions to take part in the pilot: Lewisham, Brighton & Hove, Conwy, Coventry, Edinburgh, Leeds, Middlesbrough, North-east Lincolnshire and Teignbridge.
Blackpool will also be involved, replacing Tendring council which declined to join the pilot (HT 28 November 2002, page 8).
Work and pensions minister Malcolm Wicks said the start date under discussion for the pilot was in October but that the department "could be flexible if there are any specific problems".
He also said he was exploring the idea of the councils advising tenants on rent payment, including direct debits.
Source
Housing Today
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