Roles set up to cope with growing jobless
Five new "benefits assessors" are being employed by Wolverhampton City Council to cope with the ever-increasing dole queue, it emerged today.
Five new "benefits assessors" are being employed by Wolverhampton City Council to cope with the ever-increasing dole queue, it emerged today.
The Government has handed the authority a one-off £247,000 grant to employ new benefits staff because of the surge in caseloads sparked by rising unemployment. All five of the workers will get 12-month contracts based at the Jobcentre dealing with benefits applications from the unemployed and helping the growing number of visitors with paperwork.
The money, which has already been paid to the authority, has been ringfenced so it can only be used to specifically employ new benefits workers.
It comes as local authorities up and down the country say they are coming under pressure from people who visit Jobcentres and say there are not enough staff around to help.
The move will be agreed by the Tory cabinet next week, but a report going to the meeting does not specify how much the new recruits can expect to earn.
Last month unemployment nationally surged past the two million mark for the first time in 12 years while in Wolverhampton, the numbers claiming jobseekers allowance rose by 938 to 10,248 - or 7.1 per cent of the working population.
Wolverhampton is among the worst-hit areas for unemployment in the West Midlands. Recent job losses include 36 at Bilston copper firm Mueller Europe Ltd, and 120 at Shifnal-based Wrekin Construction.
Tory councillor Wendy Thompson, cabinet member for finance, said today: "The money from the Government will prove to be very useful and has to be welcomed.
"We all know about the situation with the economy at the moment and hopefully this will make sure those who are seeking benefits are seen to and given help.
"We've got to balance our own budget and it can sometimes be very difficult to find money for these sort of situations, without outside assistance."
The Government has also been handing out similar grants to other local authorities, but only where the councils can prove a need for the money.
