Job centre closures 'could be disastrous'

Calls to spare Glasgow Jobcentres from the axe have been renewed following the British Government's recent budget.
The Scottish government has said it was "completely unacceptable" that it was not consulted on plans to close half of Glasgow's job centres.The Scottish government has said it was "completely unacceptable" that it was not consulted on plans to close half of Glasgow's job centres.
The Scottish government has said it was "completely unacceptable" that it was not consulted on plans to close half of Glasgow's job centres.

The DWP want to close half the city’s Jobcentres, including the facility in the southside’s Langside area, with services moving to the currrent office in Newlands.

Glasgow has been hit harder than other areas, with the plans looking to close 20 per cent of offices nationwide in a bid to save cash.

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Several of the areas affected are in Scotland’s poorest areas with higher than avergare unemployment.

Stewart McDonald, the SNP MP for Glasgow South, has called for a rethink following Chancellor Philip Hammond’s budget, which confirmed there would be no easing up on benefit freezes.

Last year, a four-year freeze on tax credits and benefits such as Jobseeker’s Allowance and income support was put in place.

And earlier this month, changes to the Personal Independence Payment were announced.

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Mr McDonald said: “The Chancellor has failed address concerns that we are facing the biggest increase in inequality in decades, with the poorest of working-age projected to be worse off in the next few years.

“In addition, changes to the Personal Independence Payment could exclude tens of thousands of disabled people from the financial help they need, and the freeze to working age benefits will put further pressure on household budgets.

“Coupled with the DWP’s plans to close half of Glasgow’s jobcentres, this could be disastrous for families across the city.

“With no extra help offered in this budget, it is vital that this Government halt their proposals to close jobcentres.”

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