Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many job centres have closed in each constituency in each year between 2010 and the most recent year for which figures are available.

Staff and service delivery have, where possible, been relocated to alternative DWP buildings or partner organisation’s buildings in order to maintain delivery of services to customers. Since 1^st February 2010 through to 3^rd October 2019, 219 buildings through which Jobcentre Plus services were delivered have been closed. On occasions jobcentres were closed to merge with other, bigger jobcentres or to accommodate co-location needs.

Our DWP estate announcement on 5 July 2017 confirmed that some smaller jobcentres would merge with larger ones, and others would be co-located in local government premises. Merging our staff and services from some smaller or underutilised jobcentres, into larger jobcentres nearby, makes better use of space and reduces costs to the taxpayer while still maintaining the same excellent level of customer service.

This has enabled the Department to offer a more efficient service, while delivering good value for the taxpayer.

We are committed to retaining a Jobcentre Plus network and continuing to serve throughout GB to make sure they can continue to access the Jobcentre Plus services they need.