The Department for Work and Pensions set to close 41 offices as the government plans a major shake up. Thousands of staff were summoned to meetings at 10.30am today to be told of huge changes with the DWP, with unions warning “thousands” of jobs are at risk.
It is also understood that of the 41 offices are set to close, 13 will be shut with “no other strategic site nearby” for their 1,300 workers to move to. They could lose their jobs or be shunted to another government department. Another 28 offices will shut with their 12,000 workers having to move to another site nearby, reported The Mirror.
READ MORE: Universal Credit: 6 million households will see income reduced by £1,000 a year – but they still haven’t been told
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The offices are not Jobcentres and minister David Rutley insisted only “back of house” staff would be affected. Some of the sites do also have Jobcentres on the same site.
DWP chiefs have been in talks to close some offices for years. But MPs hit out as many of the closures are in key parts of northern England, from Blackburn and Bradford to Washington and Stockton-on-Tees.
Shadow DWP minister Justin Madders said: “It looks as though the DWP doesn’t believe in levelling up, it doesn’t believe in its own rhetoric on jobs, and it doesn’t believe in keeping people in work. Many of the closures are in areas of economic deprivation that can hardly afford to lose good quality, public sector jobs.”
DWP Minister David Rutley claimed parts of the DWP estate were unfit for purpose. He insisted the “vast majority” of employees “can be relocated very very close to their current facility”. He added: “We’re not reducing staff numbers – the focus is on retaining as many people as possible. We’ve got great staff, we want to retain them.” But when asked by Labour to rule out redundancies, he did not.
SNP work and employment spokesman Chris Stephens said: “Can the minister confirm that the announcement could mean 3,000 jobs at risk of redundancy?” He also claimed the DWP is “looking to close offices in high economic deprivation areas” which is “counter-intuitive to the so-called levelling-up agenda”.
Mr Rutley said plans will span the next three years, and over the next decade “the department is transitioning to an estate that is smaller, greener and better”. He added: “These plans to not affect our JobcentrePlus and customer-facing roles.”
A government spokesperson said: “As part of plans to improve the services we deliver to claimants, help more people into employment and modernise public services, DWP is moving some back office staff to better, greener offices, which will not affect any public-facing roles.
“This is not a plan to reduce our headcount – where possible, our colleagues in offices due to close are being offered opportunities to be redeployed to a nearby site, or retrained into a new role in DWP or another government department. We are making every effort to fully support our staff through this process.”
Separately to today’s announcement, 12,000 Universal Credit advisors who were hired to create Britain’s “biggest ever Jobs Army” have been told to reapply for their own jobs as their temporary contracts run out.
Do you want to stay up to date with the latest news, views, features and opinion from across the city?
MyLondon’s brilliant newsletter The 12 is absolutely jam packed with all the latest to keep you keep you entertained, informed and uplifted.
You’ll get 12 stories straight to your inbox at around 12pm. It’s the perfect lunchtime read.
And what’s more – it’s FREE!
The MyLondon team tells London stories for Londoners. Our journalists cover all the news you need – from City Hall to your local streets, so you’ll never miss a moment.
Don’t skip a beat and sign up to The 12 newsletter here.
Sites closing with no alternative
- Aberdeen, Ebury House
- Barrow in Furness, Phoenix House
- Bishop Auckland, Vinovium House
- Blackburn, Cardwell Place
- Bury St Edmunds, St Andrews house
- Chippenham, St Pauls House
- Exeter, Clarendon House
- Gravesend, The Grove
- Kirkcaldy, Victoria Road
- Milton Keynes, Southgate House
- Peterborough, Bridge Street
- Southampton, St Cross House
- Stoke-on-Trent, Hanley, Stafford Street
Sites closing with an alternative offered
- Bathgate, Whitburn Road
- Birkenhead, Hordan House
- Bradford, Leeds Road
- Burnley, Brun House
- Chesterfield
- Doncaster, Crossgate House
- Dundee, Lindsay House
- Falkirk, Callendar Gate
- Glasgow, Clydebank, Radnor House
- Glasgow, Springburn
- Gloucester, Cedar House
- Liverpool, Belle Vale, Childwall Valley Road
- London Hackney, Sylvester Road
- London Stratford, Jubilee House
- Manchester Chorlton, Graeme House
- Nuneaton, Discovery House
- Oldham, Phoenix House
- Preston, the Guild Centre
- Rotherham, Dearne Valley, Discovery House
- Seaham, Lighthouse View
- Southend-on-Sea, Kingswood House
- St Helens, Gregson House
- Stirling, St Ninians Road
- Stockton-on-Tees, Tees Buildings
- Walsall, government buildings
- Warrington, Hilden House
- Washington, Durham House
- Wellingborough, Lothersdale House
Do you have a story you think we should be covering? If so, please email [email protected].
More Stories
Concrete Lifting Foam Experts- Concrete Raising Systems
Take a tour inside this absolutely stunning dream house in Illinois
Urban Nest Apartment Makeover Series – DIY Show Off ™