ALL STAFF in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) were called into
special meetings on 29 June. This was as Secretary of State Andrew Smith made
a statement in the Commons, outlining massive job cuts in the Department.
These include closing the pensions centres in Liverpool and York, which
only opened three years ago. Six other pensions centres will be changed to
doing JobCentre Plus work.
All benefit processing, which is normally done locally, will be
centralised. There are 670 benefit processing offices now, they will be
reduced to 100 by 2008.
A PCS rep told the socialist:
"We’re being told the DWP will be a ‘leaner’
organisation, with fewer, better-rewarded staff. But it really just means huge
job cuts."Most of the staff are stunned. People knew there would be some cuts but
they thought it would be done in an orderly way, by natural wastage. But
they’ve just announced these closures and transfers, which will affect every
benefit including pensions and incapacity benefit. The most vulnerable in
society will be hit by this."There’s been no consultation with the union and locally the PCS reps are
as stunned as the rest of the workforce."We don’t know any more details, just that there will be massive job cuts."
