MP Protests over 'Shocking' Local Jobs Service

1.07.44pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 23rd Jan 2006

Vincent Cable MP has written a strong letter of protest to the Minister responsible for Employment after residents who have lost their jobs have faced what he describes as "shocking levels of incompetence and delay" when they contact JobCentre Plus.

Unemployment is now rising again after a long period of near full employment (in Twickenham the number claiming job seekers allowance has risen 3.6% over the last year). Residents report that telephone helplines are never answered; they are turned away from the Twickenham office and get little more attention in Kingston; and can wait weeks without any money. These local problems are replicated at a national level where:

• 4 day average waits for a call back after first contact is made

• benefit processing time has doubled since 2000

• many applicants left for weeks without help leading to a big growth in crisis loans

Vincent Cable said: "There is a shocking level of incompetence in this government agency. The IT systems don't work. A quarter of all staff are losing their jobs so there is serious demoralisation and key people cannot cope. This would be bad enough were it not for the fact that unemployment is rising again as the economy turns sour. Some residents are now experiencing real hardship."