Thin man told claimant the DWP had a ‘skeleton staff’

SIR RIGHT from an early age, I was interested in drawing and painting. My ambition was to be a children’s illustrator. However, at the age of 17 due to family circumstances I decided to get a job to earn some money.

I tried my hand at various ‘arty’ jobs but didn’t like any of them, then someone suggested the Civil Service.

After an interview with the manager, much to my surprise I was offered a job at what was then the Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance, based in Hanley.

I really enjoyed the first few years. In those days you knew your place but we all got on well together and everything went like clockwork.

The only time we were under any pressure was when there was a flu epidemic and we had to work until 8pm. Even the deputy manager had to ‘muck in’, something unheard of at the time.

I worked with some really interesting characters. Two I recall were Cliff Birks, who in his spare time was a scout for Stoke City Football Club, and Jack Simm, who was well-known on the club circuit.

Jack was very thin and wiry. One Saturday he had to tell a claimant that he could not do any more for him as we only had a “skeleton staff” on Saturdays.

The claimant responded: “I can bloody see that mate.”

Apart from Hanley, there were two other MPNI offices in the area – one at Tunstall and one at Leek.

However, it wasn’t long before the powers that be decided to amalgamate all three offices into one – based at Hanley, so Tunstall and Leek had to close and we all moved, eventually, to a new site in Stafford Street where I remained for the next 43 years.

As you can imagine, I saw many changes – not always for the better.

The system seemed to work, I don’t think that is the case today.

What a pity governments don’t ask the DWP workers for their suggestions before bringing in any changes, then perhaps we wouldn’t be in the mess we are in today. PATRICIA SINCLAIR Stoke-on-trent