DWP: “Closing jobcentres will improve the service.” People who use jobcentres: “No it won’t”

DWP: “Closing jobcentres will improve the service.” People who use jobcentres: “No it won’t”
http://www.katebelgrave.com/2017/04/dwp-closing-your-jobcentre-will-improve-the-service-people-who-use-the-jobcentre-no-it-wont/

Does anyone know when the "78" JCP's are to be closed down. As mine is on the list . However, haven't been told any thing from the Work-roach as yet.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/plan-close-scores-jobcentres-across-9698561

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jobcentre-closing-dwp-impact-assessment-louise-haigh-a7575061.html

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2017-01-30/debates/EBCFB042-6606-49B3-9E83-03FB31981159/JobcentrePlusOfficesClosure

Nearest date I could find:

We are seeking to ensure that we consult our staff, local stakeholders and claimants to understand what is best for them. This is part of a process brought about because the prime contract expires in March 2018.

As I indicated, this review is part of the prime contract established in 1998. It is nearly 20 years old and expires next year. All the proposals are a part of our making the best use of that contract and looking forward to what we need to provide now and in the future.

The entire Hansard debate is an interesting read in how to not answer questions about reimbursing travel expenses to claimants who previously didn't have to travel to sign on.

Where claimants will have to travel for over an hour by public transport, we are considering what arrangements we can put in place, including claiming by post.

Caroline Nokes wrote:We have made it very clear that vulnerable claimants will be able to make claims by post in some circumstances, particularly where they find it difficult to access a jobcentre or have childcare responsibilities, and it is very important to make that distinction. The hon. Lady talked about accessibility. Where there is a difference under the ministerial criteria of more than 3 miles or of 20 minutes by public transport, we will seek to hold a public consultation, which will then feed in to our equality analysis so that we can best understand the impact on claimants.

Load of rubbish, of course

Also, will there be any "streamlining" of the the DWP staff? As that would improve there service

Terra firma benefits services closures leave the economically vulnerable more firmly in the lurch
http://kilburnunemployed.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/terra-firma-benefits-services-closures-leave-the-economically-vulnerable-in-the-lurch.html

JCs have been referring claimants to the contact centre instead of answering queries face to face, for years

My JC isn't on the list for closure, yet on the 2 (public) levels they occupy over half of the space isn't used and most of the desks are unoccupied. Maybe all the staff are hiding somewhere?

There is an individual list of the proposals (published on 3 May) on the DWP page here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/latest?departments%5B%5D=department-for-work-pensions

Absolut wrote:My JC isn't on the list for closure, yet on the 2 (public) levels they occupy over half of the space isn't used and most of the desks are unoccupied. Maybe all the staff are hiding somewhere?

Maybe they are going to turn the space into Yuppie flats/Student Flats, as that is all of the building work that is going on in my area Absolut .

my old one is closing though it was in the pipeline to do so

I take issue with the below statement, I worked for the DWP 3 and a half years ago, the closure of the Branch JC was in the pipeline even then

but the way they make it sound is that people are turning to using the online and telephony services by choice. That just isn't true.

We were told we had to encourage our customers to make their claims and look for information online, there was no other way, not even by phone.

We weren't allowed to tell people to go to the Job Centre if the had any problems, only if they had an appointment.

'The DWP said that Jobcentre Plus operations have changed in recent years as people make more use of online and telephone services, generally only visiting for appointments or for help in researching job vacancies.' wrote:

Admin wrote:my old one is closing though it was in the pipeline to do so

I can see the tactic being used here.

In a town close to me, the social services department were told (by the management of the care home) to stop placing elderly people in a particular care home. They complied and stopped placing people there.  

The corporation, which operated the care home, then put a story in the local media, along the lines of the care home was forced to close because social services stopped placing clients there    . The truth was that the corporation had received an offer from a developer, to buy the care home and redevelop the site -  Kerching!!!!  

The care home was demolished a number of years ago, but (obviously) not before the current residents were relocated out of town away from families Some of them did not make the transition, they just died during the eviction process    Nothing is there now.

The tactic: Tell people there is no demand for a particular facility = instant justification for closure  

El-dudeareno wrote:Maybe they are going to turn the space into Yuppie flats/Student Flats, as that is all of the building work that is going on in my area Absolut .

Haha, it's a really ugly building (used to also house the now empty tax office), but yeah I could see flats there if the higher-ups eventually caught onto the fact that 50% of the space isn't being used. Mind you, if they closed one of the floors it would highlight just how many numpty security guards they have, who tend to congregate on the ground floor as there aren't many "customers" in that area.

My JC is an ugly building. I doubt there would be enough parking space for yuppy flats on the site, as the footprint is not huge, and it is not in a yuppy town anyway. There is no uni' either, so no need for student flats.

Our JC has a large underground car park so the evil work roaches can escape at the end of the day with no fear of having their heads caved in.

mine has a miniscule car park at the front. I bet they have to get there early to get a space

People have to walk past JC staff cars to get to the entrance. One time, a shiny red car obscured the entrance and a claimant on a mobility scooter accidently scratched the car when accessing the building . I have not seen that car there since then

Update on the future of DWP jobcentres
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/update-on-the-future-of-dwp-jobcentres