More than £275,000 has handed to claimants by Jobcentre Plus in payments for failings in its service across Wales over the last two-and-a-half years, Plaid Cymru AMs Leanne Wood and Chris Franks have learnt.
The pay-outs cover loss of benefit due to benefit errors, maladministration, delay, gross inconvenience and embarrassment and severe distress.
In the 2007-08 financial year the total paid out in Wales was £104,537. That rose to £118,271 in 2008-09 and was £52,718 in the first six months of 2009-10.
Both in 2007-08 and 2008-09 benefit entitlement was the top area of complaint, representing 32 per cent of all complaints in 2007-08 and 35 per cent in 2008-09.
According to Jobcentre Plus, while the number of staff in Wales have increased from 4,562 to 5,398, unemployment claimants have rocketed from 45,419 in January 2007 to 78,234 in October 2009.
Leanne Wood, who represents South Wales Central in the Assembly and is chair of the All Party PCS Assembly union group, said: “While there has been an increase in Jobcentre Plus staff, I understand that many of the new staff are employed on a fixed term basis. That is against a background of job cuts in the past and once the economy improves management are likely to make cuts again.
“I’ve also been made aware of proposals within the DWP to transfer staff out of job centres into call centres in an attempt to make the people deal with issues by telephone or the internet. Many people who do not have access to the internet and so this development is not unacceptable.
“They are, in fact, de-skilling work and specialists in certain areas of work will be expected to deal with all types of queries. As in many call centres they will inevitably be expected to get people off the phone as quickly as possible.”
Fellow South Wales Central AM Chris Franks added: “I am concerned that any cuts in staff will not only lead to a loss of jobs but also an increase in claims against Jobcentre Plus. Management need to think carefully about the impact of any decision to reduce services which will affect the public.”
