MP group slams "incoherent" & secretive Jobcentre closure plan for Scotland

The report by the House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee said lessons must be learned from the controversy.

The end of the 20-year Private Finance Initiative contract, under which Jobcentre Plus premises were leased, provided an opportunity for a comprehensive review of how the service could be modernised, best suit the needs of users and provide value for money, they said.

Current proposals, that would involve the closure of eight of the 16 offices in Glasgow plus a further 14 across Scotland, demonstrate “a lack of strategic thinking and would not provide an adequate service”, the MPs said.

The committee said it was disappointed that the Scottish Government had not been consulted at all before the was made, and the Minister for Employability and Training, Jamie Hepburn confirmed that he had found out about the closures “through the newspapers”.

Some Glasgow MPs had said they only found out about the planned closures in Glasgow through a Department for Work and Pensions whistleblower.

In February, MSPs voted by 91 to 30 to voice “concern” about the impact of the closures across the country.

The committee has now recommended that as a large proportion of welfare policy was devolved, any future policy decision which impact on the way social security is administered in Scotland must be taken in consultation with the Scottish Government.

The group said the government appeared only to have considered which current sites were expendable and did not look at how a comprehensive service could be provided for an area.

A ‘holistic’ approach would almost certainly indicate the need for new Jobcentres near transport hubs, however only closures of existing services have been proposed, they said.

"The Government has to show more ambition and dexterity to create an effective Jobcentre network," the committee said.

They called for a full and proper evaluation of Jobcentre Plus provision in Glasgow must be carried out and demonstrate a "proper understanding" of the geography and transport infrastructure of the city.

The committee also called for the creation of a large city centre job centre with a small number of additional offices in those areas with poor transport.

"Particular consideration should be given to a large central location that would allow the greatest number of people to access it," said the MPs, who conducted an evidence session over the closures in February. "The unnecessary uncertainty that this policy has placed on staff must be ended as soon as possible. A clear statement must be made about where people will be expected to relocate to keep their job. They need to work more closely with unions and staff to provide adequate support to those being asked to change roles or location as a result of the policy," the committee said.

"The impact of any closure must be fully understood before it is initiated. The effect on users, staff and the wider community needs to be fully understood, therefore a consultation must be run on the proposed changes as a whole, not just in the few cases were certain criteria are breached."

Publishing the report, committee chairman Pete Wishart said: “Their treatment of staff, service users and colleagues in the Scottish Government fell short of what should be expected. When a staggered series of closure announcements begins with eight in one city, it is only going to create uncertainty and resentment.

"Jobcentre Plus centres are there to serve their communities, when people are often at their most vulnerable, these proposals will fail to do this adequately. We urge the Government to look at this policy again and come back with a coherent solution that works for the people who use the service, as well as being value for money.”

A DWP spokesperson said: “We’ve been clear that this is about improving the services we deliver, while making best use of taxpayers’ money.

“We are in the process of consulting with staff, and final decisions will be made after that is completed.”