DWPrevealsmore Jobcentre agony
PLANS have been announced to close more Jobcentres in Scotland.
The Department of Work and Pensions has unveiled its UK wide proposals for reducing office space to cut costs.
The announcement comes almost two months after the plans to shut half of Glasgow’s Jobcentres was revealed.
The proposals include the closure of Port Glasgow and Alexandria Jobcentres moving to Greenock and Dumbarton respectively.
The aim is to shut 134 job centres in total across the UK and a number of what the DWP call back offices.
It will also shut two Glasgow city centre offices, Portcullis House in Charing Cross and another in Cadogan Street.
The DWP said there would be no redundancies and operations would be located in other offices. Atlantic Quay and Northgate in the city centre are to be retained.
The overall plan for Jobcentres shows the disproportionate focus on Glasgow.
The seven city closures account for 5.2% of the UK total closures.
The plans have attracted widespread opposition with the Evening Times Hands Off Our Jobcentres gaining support from across political parties, individuals and community groups.
Labour’s UK Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Debbie Abrahams, added her voice to the cam paign. She said “The Tory plan to close job centres across Glasgow is an absolute utter shambles.
“The Tories used to tell people to get on their bike to find work – now they are telling people in Glasgow they will have to travel miles for the support they need to find work in the first place.
“It’s a total mess that sums up the Tory approach to social security, one they can’t understand.”
Alison Thewliss Glasgow Central SNP MP is now also worried about the office closures.
She said: “These erratic Tory plans raise a number of very serious questions for Glasgow. Where are the jobs are being transferred to? What consultation has been carried out with staff?
“How does this fit into the current proposals to shut half of Glasgow’s Jobcentres?
“UK Government Ministers have been at great pains to stress the Jobcentre closures are only proposals, but how can Glaswegians trust them with these new cuts coming like a bolt from the blue?”
The latest announcement has also met with disapproval in the rest of the country.
Ronnie Cowan, MP for Inverclyde, said:”This will put an added burden of travel on people in Kilmacolm and Port Glasgow who will be expected to travel greater distances to receive welfare support.”
DWP Minister Damian Hinds said: “We are concentrating our resources on what we know best helps people into work.”