Jobcentre Plus Offices: Closure Debate

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Department: Department for Work and Pensions

Jobcentre Plus Offices: Closure

Stephen Timms Excerpts
Monday 30th January 2017

(7 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Caroline Nokes Portrait Caroline Nokes
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I reassure my hon. Friend that the DWP is doing exactly that. Outreach is an important part of our suite of products to enable claimants to be get back into work. We will continue to look at the best ways to deliver that in the best locations across the country.

Stephen Timms Portrait Stephen Timms (East Ham) (Lab)
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Closure of the last jobcentre in my constituency will require those who sign on fortnightly to pay an extra £6 a month in bus fares to get to a more distant jobcentre. Can the Minister reassure me that Jobcentre Plus will reimburse claimants with those additional costs?

Caroline Nokes Portrait Caroline Nokes
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Where claimants are required to sign on more frequently than fortnightly we will look to reimburse costs, but I remind the right hon. Gentleman that across London the claimant count is down 24.6% since 2010. There are fewer people claiming and we are trying to work with them more intensively.