Glasgow North West MP, Carol Monaghan, has reacted with dismay at news that the Department for Work and Pensions is planning to close eight of Glasgow’s Job Centres, including Anniesland in her own constituency.
Speaking on the news, Monaghan said:
“The Conservative Government are using Glasgow as guinea pigs for their planned cuts. If realised, these closures would have a devastating impact on the service provided to those across Glasgow who rely on their local Job Centre for support and would cost claimants more in time and money to attend appointments and ‘sign on’ for Jobseekers’ Allowance.
”In my own constituency of Glasgow North West, the proposals include the closure of Anniesland Job Centre, which serves not just Anniesland but also Temple, Knightswood, Whiteinch, Scotstoun and Yoker. The latest statistics from Nomis indicate that over 16% of those of working age in the constituency are in receipt of out of work benefits. That is considerably above the Scottish and UK averages.
“Instead of bringing in cuts, we should be investing more in these services to help tackle the long-running issues of unemployment that are unfortunately still found in large parts of Glasgow. It is telling that the Chancellor’s statement on the DWP’s ‘People and Locations’ programme in 2015 indicated that 20% of the estate would close. In Glasgow, that figure is 50%.
“The Conservative Government have indicated that they do not plan to consult on the majority of these closures, including the closure in Anniesland. That is just not good enough. For changes as dramatic as this they should accept the need for a full public consultation and they should halt any proposals until they have done this and I will be fighting tooth and nail against these planned closures.”
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