Around 100 Fife workers are still in limbo seven weeks after the Department of Work and Pensions announced it was closing their office.
The UK Government says the closure of the Victoria Road premises in Kirkcaldy is part of its plan to move office staff back into better, greener offices while improving services for claimants.
It is one of 41 sites across the UK facing the axe, including Lindsay House in Dundee.
But while 316 workers there have been offered roles at the city’s Jack Martin Way, there is no alternative site in Fife.
Anyone who wants to keep their job could face journeys to Dundee, Edinburgh or even Falkirk.
‘Services need to be invested in’
Glenrothes MP Peter Grant described the situation as unacceptable.
The SNP MP recently joined members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) during a campaign to save DWP jobs.
And he said: “When we are experiencing a national cost of living crisis the services of the DWP need to be invested in, not drained of experience and resource.
“Many folk affected will have caring duties or disabilities which mean travelling further is an added burden.
“Or they simply can’t afford the extra travel.”
Closures are scheduled to happen by June 2023.
The PCS believes up to 3,000 jobs could be at risk across the country.
Kirkcaldy DWP closure ‘not about redundancies’
Ian Pope from the PCS said the Government told staff it was not about redundancies.
“They said it was about redeployment and retraining,” he said.
“The PCS are very sceptical about that.
“There are other parts of the country where redeployment would be easy.
“But there is very little opportunity for redeployment in Fife.”
Mr Pope said the DWP has just finished a six-week period of one-to-one meetings with staff where they asked what the barriers were to them moving.
As far as the DWP is concerned it’s closing and that’s their final word.”
Ian Pope, PCS Union.
“One of the areas they’re looking at is Falkirk,” he said.
“But for anyone who doesn’t drive it would mean two trains.
“And even then the office is miles from the train station.”
He added: “They’re also closing Stirling, Bathgate and Falkirk Parklands so unless it’s an industrial-sized Tardis, I don’t know how they’ll fit 600 people in there.
“Our focus is on retaining that office and retaining jobs.
“But as far as the DWP is concerned it’s closing and that’s their final word.”
Government response
A Government spokesperson insisted there is no plan to cut jobs.
And he added the Kirkcaldy DWP office closure would not affect any public-facing roles.
“As part of plans to improve the services we deliver to claimants, help more people into employment and modernise public services, DWP is moving some back office staff to better, greener offices,” he said.
“Where possible, our colleagues in offices due to close are being offered opportunities to be redeployed to a nearby site, or retrained into a new role in DWP or another government department.
“We are making every effort to fully support our staff through this process.”
