Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent representations he has received from claimants about lack of access to telephone lines within jobcentres for claims to be made and queries to be answered.

The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

The Digital Jobcentres project is modernising the Jobcentre digital infrastructure by delivering WiFi and public computers across the Jobcentre network.

We now take over 80 per cent of new Jobseeker’s Allowance claims on line and the majority of jobs are also available on the internet. Therefore the use of Customer Access Phones has significantly reduced. However, claimants who require access to a phone in connection with their benefit or job search will still be given access to a telephone in a Jobcentre.