Sinn Féin Mourne’s Cllr Willie Clarke has voiced his concern in relation to recommendations to close two employment and benefits’ offices in Newcastle and Ballynahinch.
Cllr Clarke was speaking following being made aware that a document was leaked onto the Civil Service internal Intranet on Tuesday 2nd August 2016.
He said: “Within an hour it was removed but the document proposed that there would be three Social Security Offices closing in the North namely Newcastle SSO, Ballynahinch SSO and Cookstown SSO, therefore two in South Down affecting a number of staff and vulnerable clients.”
“Local staff have a number of concerns from their perspective, including possible job losses as a result of job-redeployment, as well as the very real practical difficulties as a result of having to travel to job redeployment.
“All indications suggest, that those using the social security service far prefer to use a face-to-face service as opposed to over the phone.
“To remove this facility and replace it with a phone service would no doubt have a negative impact on vulnerable people.”
Cllr Clarke added: “The primary concern in all of this should be the claimant and as we head into further economic uncertainty and hardship, the Minister for Communities should ensure these closures are not realised, The Social Security Offices across the North are a vital service which will no doubt act as a further assistance as we face into darker economic uncertainty due to the Brexit result.”
#Newcastle #Ballynahinch
