Axed Glasgow job centres could re-open to deal with soaring unemployment

JOB centres that were closed by the DWP two years ago could be re-opened to cope with a rise in unemployment from the Covid-19 economic crisis.

Six job centres in Glasgow were axed in a cost-cutting move by the DWP.

Job centres in Anniesland, Bridgeton, Easterhouse, Parkhead, Langside and Maryhill were shut as the DWP said they were not fit for purpose anymore and more services were being delivered online. Castlemilk was spared the axe as the number of job centres in the city was cut from 14 to eight.

Now a DWP official has said they could be re-opened as the UK Government is taking on13,500 new work coaches this year to cope with increased demand as largescale job losses are expected.

Neil Couling, who is directorgeneral for the Universal Credit programme, said only one-third of the new staff can be accommodated in the current offices across the UK.

It is not known how many offices will be located in Glasgow but it he admitted it is possible old offices could be re-opened or new offices found to ensure there is enough space for more staff and to stick to social distancing rules.

He was asked by Chris Stephens, Glasgow South West SNP MP, where the new work coaches would be based.

He said: “Where are you going to accommodate the staff? Given that you have closed over 100 job centres in the UK, including in the great city of Glasgow, that suggests it is just going to be home working, or what is it?”

Ms Couling said: “The first 4,500 we can fit into our existing estates and properties.

“We have been carefully checking that that is all Covid-compliant, working with our local trade unions on that.

Mr Stephens asked if it would mean re-opening old centres.

Ms Couling replied: “It is a possibility. We are looking, certainly, at one of the closed ones that I know of at the moment to try to set up a demonstration of how we do this.

“We are going to adopt probably a different design than we have in existing job centres, partly because we need to make them Covidcompliant quickly.

“Some of our old estate will not be very good; the job centres we closed were quite small. That was not completely the case in Glasgow, before Mr Stephens comes in and corrects me, but in general I think these will be newer properties.”