Don’t close our jobcentre
PROTESTERS TO CAMPAIGN AGAINST CENTRE SHUTTING
Reporter CAMPAIGNERS will be meeting this weekend to demonstrate against the closure of Whitley Bay Jobcentre.
The centre, on Whitley Road, is due to close later this month, and staff and claimants will then be asked to move to the North Shields branch.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) announced the plans earlier this year.
However, the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, which represents DWP staff, has attacked the move, saying it will affect the most vulnerable people.
And this Saturday, protestors will gather outside the building at around midday for a rally.
Fran Heathcote, president of the PCS union, DWP group, said: “This closure will take our services and jobs out of the community, at a time when there is so much regeneration going on in Whitley Bay. It seems nonsensical to remove access to these services.
“The DWP says North Shields is only three miles away. Whilst that is true, it will still have a major effect on claimants who are vulnerable and can ill afford the transport costs.
“Our members feel really strongly about this and believe these people will be let down.
“The staff members in Whitley Bay also have their own responsibilities and family commitments. A number of them walk to work – they will also need to move.
“We have asked the DWP to colocate the Jobcentre services within local authority premises in the town, but they have refused this as well. “It’s an absolute disgrace.” Around 13 people work at the centre. As well as the rally, union members have voted to strike on August 17 and 18 “as a last resort to prevent the closure and protect public services”.
Ms Heathcote added: “Members are not doing this for themselves – they are doing it for the people who use our services, people they care heavily about and who will suffer the most.”
The closure is part of a national programme to merge some smaller Jobcentres with larger ones and, where practical, share with local Government premises.
DWP says the changes will allow it to run a more efficient service and save over £140m a year for the next 10 years.
It says eight out of 10 claims for Jobseeker’s Allowance and 99 per cent of applications for Universal Credit Full Service claims are now made online. This means their buildings are used much less, with 20 per cent of the estate currently underutilised.
The DWP has confirmed there will be no job losses due to the Whitley Bay move. A spokesperson added: “Whitley Bay Jobcentre is becoming increasingly underused, particularly as more of our services are offered online. Merging it with our site in North Shields means we can continue to provide a first-rate level of service to our claimants.”