Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of increased journey times and travel costs for people currently using East Ham jobcentre of its closure.

We have sought to to minimise the impact on claimants travel as far as possible. The new site at Barking is 1.6 miles from the existing site and Jobcentre Plus is able to reimburse travel costs for those claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance or the equivalent claimants in Universal Credit for any attendance above their fortnightly signing appointment. In addition, those claiming Employment and Support Allowance and Income Support are not generally required to attend their local Jobcentre regularly.

Throughout our planning we calculated distances and journey times to Barking using a variety of methods to ensure accuracy, including online tools and timetables, information collected on local public transport routes, and input and scrutiny from local DWP staff and management. Rather than assess the travel time from customers’ homes to their current and proposed new Jobcentre, we have focused instead on the distances between existing and proposed Jobcentre locations to help customers better understand any differences in distance. This is to reflect the fact that people who travel to the Jobcentre will use whichever type of transport suits their personal circumstances, they may not be starting their journey from their home, and not all those who use our services are claimants.

In addition, throughout the development of these proposals, the department has been mindful of the impact on staff and customers as part of its duties under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010. Statistical analysis of the potential impact of the proposals on people with the protected characteristics has informed high-level decision-making so far. As we obtain further local, site-specific information we will ensure any issues identified are also taken fully into consideration when the final decisions are made.