More torture for the unemployed as Tories plan to close or move job centres further away

Last Updated: January 27, 2017By

The Government claims it needs fewer offices to cover the whole country because people tend to submit their claims for benefits online. However, unemployed claimants are still required to attend Jobcentres at least every two weeks, with the Government having trialled weekly sign-ons and even more intensive daily sign-ons.

People who do not attend the meetings are subject to sanctions that MPs on the Work and Pensions Committee warned in 2015 might be “purely punitive”.

Unions say that at least 18 of the threatened Jobcentres break a previous commitment by ministers that no Jobcentre would close if it took 20 minutes or more to reach the next nearest by public transport.

On top of the 78 closures, other Jobcentres will also be moved, with 80 planned to be co-located to other buildings, such as those owned by local councils in a bid to save space.

Source: Unemployed will be forced to travel further to sign on as DWP plans to close 78 local Jobcentres

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4 Comments

  1. mohandeer January 27, 2017 at 6:39 pm - Reply

    With regards this current government, I’m beginning to wonder if Guy Fawkes didn’t have the right idea after all. Apparently Whitehall needs repairs anyway, he could help them start from scratch.

  2. Joan Edington January 27, 2017 at 8:00 pm - Reply

    It’s all part of the Tory plan. I don’t know what centres are closing down south but I would bet they’re in the same category as Glasgow is currently up in arms about. The centres that are to close are in some of the most deprived areas of town, those that need them close by the most. I suspect that they hope more people will miss appointments and be sanctioned.

    • Mike Sivier January 28, 2017 at 5:17 pm - Reply

      I think so too.
      Apparently my own local Job Centre is in line to be closed or moved – but my town is very small and the new location is unlikely to be far away.

  3. PJB January 27, 2017 at 10:47 pm - Reply

    They are the devils own.

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