250 HMRC jobs under threat in Dudley
More than 250 jobs could be lost if tax offices are closed in Dudley under government plans.
HMRC staff based at the Waterfront in Brierley Hill were last week told the offices could close.
It would mark a U-turn after staff were previously informed they would be transferred to the Department for Work and Pensions.
In October, staff were told they would remain based there.
Dudley North MP Ian Austin is urging ministers to keep the offices open.
He said: “This decision has come as a huge shock to staff I met over the weekend.
“These are hard-working and highly-skilled public servants. They are very worried about their future and we need to ensure their jobs stay in Dudley.”
Tim Crumpton, the chairman of the Public and Commercial Services Union West Mercia branch, said: “This is a huge shock, only weeks ago in October 2017 staff were told that they would be staying in the office and simply move from HMRC to DWP at some time in 2020 to 2021.
"This was later than we had been told two years ago but we thought this was because of the problems that universal credit was having.
"We are now told that DWP don't need us even though everyone knows that Universal Credit is in trouble and our extremely experienced staff would need very little training to take on the work.
"We even have staff from our office working now in Derby and Wolverhampton on Universal Credit because DWP can't cope.
"With yesterday's announcement that over 1.5 million disabled claims have to be reassessed by DWP we are even more certain our staff are needed.
"We are calling on local MPs, MEPs, councillors and the combined authority and its mayor to intervene.
"To back us in keeping local jobs for local people in an area that badly needs such jobs.
"Merry Hill is an enterprise zone signed up to by the Government last year, supposedly to attract new investment and jobs.
"This same government has now signed this office's death warrant.”
An HMRC spokesperson said: "We want to retain the skills, knowledge and experience of everyone affected by the decision.
"We will do everything we can to find alternative roles for our staff, as the tax credits work they do reduces in the years ahead."
