A BENEFITS office is closing in Chester city centre which will see the migration of 158 posts to other centres.
The office, on the upper floors of Chantry House, City Road, is affected by a nationwide cost-cutting programme by the Department for Work and Pensions.
It processes benefits for the whole of Cheshire. The Jobcentre Plus office on the ground and first floors is unaffected.
A DWP spokesperson said: “We can’t afford to carry on paying for accommodation which isn’t fully used. Frontline Jobcentre Plus face-to-face services aren’t impacted by this and we’ve made sure that all the staff affected have the option of moving elsewhere in the organisation. In tough financial times we have to operate as efficiently as possible.”
But the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) says while some staff may relocate to Birkenhead and Wrexham it doubts everyone will be found a job given the general reduction in the DWP workforce.
Chester branch secretary Chris Barnes said: “It will make a real difference to people’s lives. Those who do keep their jobs will have to travel further and incur more cost.
“They might be helped with travel costs but that won’t last forever and it will mean more time to travel to work. The rationale for making the change is not strong.”
