A POLITICIAN has attacked "deeply disappointing" talks with the Department of Work and Pensions over planned closures to job centres in Glasgow.
A meeting between elected representatives and senior officials from DWP was called after it emerged last week that the UK Government department planned to axe half the city's Job Centre sites as part of a UK-wide review that aims to reduce the total number of branches by 20 per cent.
MPs - who were only informed of the plans by the DWP after reports appeared in the press - requested an urgent meeting to convey their fears over the impact the plans will have on more than 74,000 benefits claimants, including recipients of job seeker's allowance, employment support allowance and universal credit.
Patrick Grady, the SNP MP for Glasgow North who organised the meeting, said: “The response from senior Job Centre staff to our concerns was deeply disappointing and they were unable to explain why the public, the Scottish Government, elected representatives, and interested organisations had to find out about the plans from the press before being formally notified.
“We still have no idea what criteria was used to decide whether to close one Job Centre over another and it seems a local Equality Impact Assessment will only take place after the consultation period.”
The Department for Work and Pensions said the closures would save public money and reflected an increase in use of online and telephone services.
Under the plans, there would be no job losses among Jobcentre Plus staff, while claimants would not have to travel further than four miles or 40 minutes.
A DWP spokeswoman said: "Claimants can phone for free using 0800 numbers, and 0345 numbers are charged at local rates.
"The relocations are part of a programme looking at the entire estate across the UK. In other parts of the country, some Jobcentres have already moved."
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