Campaigners demand return of full job centre services for Shirebrook

They will gather outside the closed building in Shirebrook Market Place on Friday, June 13 between 10am and 12noon, to gain signatures to petition the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) regarding the ‘temporary’ closure of the office.

Shirebrook Jobcentre has been closed, since the middle of last year due to asbestos issues and structural problems.

But members of the DUWC fear the Government department may be looking at closing the facility permanently - something they are firmly opposed to.

Since the centre was closed, the DUWC says it has been told by the DWP that it is either looking to make good the building, or move to alternative premises in Shirebrook.

In the meantime, service users have redirected people to Mansfield Job Centre.

But DUWC members say this isn't working as telephone message sent to claimants have mistakenly directed people to the closed building in Shirebrook with people then missing interviews, leading to problems with their benefits.

They add that the temporary closure has also created issues for those called in for interviews in terms of both cost and difficulty for sick and disabled people.

The DUWC says the DWP made contact with them in April to say it was no nearer finding a resolution to the premises problem

The DWP also wrote to Bolsover MP Natalie Fleet (Lab), last December after she raised campaigners' concerns.

In their letter, the DWP said: "The current condition of Shirebrook is very much at the top of our list to resolve.

"The building is in a state of disrepair, and we have closed the site to protect the staff from possible health and safety risks.

"We appreciate that the interim solution isn’t ideal, with Mansfield being harder to reach.

"We are helping mitigate this by offering appointments via telephone and video while we search for a solution.

" We’re currently reviewing various options with our estates teams, including repairing the roof, and relocating the site.

"A decision on the way forward will be made in January.

"As you can imagine costs are involved with potential solutions and we’re working to prioritise the issue and allocate funds."

"Having a Job Centre presence in Shirebrook is non-negotiable to us and we can guarantee that we will return to Shirebrook, hopefully in early 2025."

But Colin Hampton, DUWC co-ordinator, said: "If this is at the top of their list to resolve I would hate to see what was at the bottom.

“The fact that, many months following the temporary closure of the Jobcentre, no movement has taken place, leads me to believe that time is being used to prepare people for the closure of this local service and alternative downgraded facilities imposed that will no doubt be withdrawn further down the line.

"This has happened at other such service closures across Derbyshire and beyond.

“It is very important that a full range of JobCentre services is maintained in Shirebrook.

"The Government, in its Green Paper ‘Pathways to Work’, makes it clear that engagement with sick and disabled people is important in bringing people closer to the Labour market.

"We must put pressure on to the DWP and decision makers to retain a full service at a Jobcentre in Shirebrook

“It is one thing to feel like you are a left behind community but another to strip away the services that might help people to catch up."

As well as this Friday's protest, DUWC say they will continue to lobby Ms Fleet and the DWP in the coming weeks.

Ms Fleet said: “Shirebrook must keep its JobCentre and I am doing all I can to make sure this happens.

“I have been in communication with both the DUWC and the DWP about the situation since rumours about its possible permanent closure surfaced before Christmas.

“However I have been reassured by the DWP that the intention is to keep it in Shirebrook, including in the answer provided for a written parliamentary question I tabled this month, where they said that they are exploring all options to maintain jobcentre services in Shirebrook.

“I will hold them to that.”

A DWP spokesperson said: “All customers who were scheduled to attend Shirebrook Jobcentre have been informed that their appointment has been moved to Mansfield.

“This will remain the case for all new appointments until Shirebrook reopens.”