STEWART PATERSON

Political Correspondent

THE Evening Times has responded to the UK Government consultation on axing Jobcentres in Glasgow stating the newspaper’s opposition to the closures.

We have told DWP bosses it would be unfair on people in the city’s poorest communities to be expected to pay extra travel costs to get to a Jobcentre in some cases up to four miles away.

In our submission to the consultation, which closes today we have outlined concerns that the closures will hit people with childcare responsibilities and will lead to an increase in sanctions plunging people deeper into poverty.

The Evening Times Hands Off Our Jobcentres campaign has attracted support from across political parties, at Westminster, Holyrood and Glasgow City Council.

The Church of Scotland and the Catholic Church have spoken out against the plans and trade unions, housing associations and Citizens Advice Scotland have warned of the devastating impact on some people in the city.

Food banks have also said they would expect to see an increase in people being referred due to sanctions for lateness or missed appointments.

In our submission we told the DWP we were against all the closures in the city not only the three being consulted upon.

We said: “We do not agree with the proposals.

“The consultation on Bridgeton, Castlemilk and Maryhill Jobcentres must be seen in the context of the wider plan to close seven Jobcentres within Glasgow city.

“This is disproportionate when the UK wide aim is to achieve a 20% reduction in office space.

The closures affect some of the poorest communities in Glasgow and indeed in Scotland, with high unemployment and social deprivation.”

Our opinion is it will not help one person find work and instead will make life more difficult.

The ridiculous situation of officials using google maps has been brought to the DWP’s attention that it does not accurately reflect the distance or time it would take to travel from one Jobcentre to another.

We have also challenged the two central arguments the DWP make in attempting to justify the closures, that people now use the internet and claimant count has dropped in the city.

Our submission states: “The argument that claimant count has dropped in Glasgow is reached at by using very carefully selected dates for comparison and does not properly take into account the increase in unemployment following the financial crash of 2008 before the rate began to fall, back to what is a more consistent level.

“Also it is claimed that more people are using digital services to access services is not as relevant in Glasgow as it may be in other parts of the country.

“Studies have shown there is a far lower rate of internet access in the most deprived communities in Glasgow and there is an issue with internet and computer skills making it difficult for people to apply for benefits or jobs on-line without assistance.”