Police were called to a dispute at the Jobcentre Plus in Dundee after a row broke out between staff and employment activists.
Officers had to escort a man from the building during the incident at the Wellgate Centre.
Tony Cox and Andrew Kirk, of the Scottish Unemployed Workers’ Network (SUWN), claimed they were assisting an unemployed man, who was facing benefit sanctions, when a row broke out between them and workers at the centre.
Mr Cox said: “We were quite within our rights assisting this man, who was concerned he was about to be sanctioned when we were asked by Jobcentre staff to leave.”
Staff asked Mr Kirk to leave and when he refused, police were called.
Mr Kirk, who is a partially-sighted advocacy worker with the SUWN, said: “I was challenged by Jobcentre staff who asked who I was and why I was there.
“They tried to say the man in question did not want me there and that I should leave.
“However, I was in no doubt that the man wanted me in with him.”
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Officers attended at the Jobcentre, Wellgate Centre, Dundee, at about 11.50am on Tuesday, to assist staff with a man who was refusing to leave the premises the matter was resolved.”
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: “The claimant did not give permission to be represented at their interview, so the representative was asked to leave. The police were called to the Jobcentre after he was asked to leave.
“Claimants are very welcome to bring a representative to speak on their behalf if their permission has been given.”