Temporary Jobcentres in Dudley and West Bromwich to close

The centres in High Street, Dudley, and Lombard Street, West Bromwich, are among the latest group of 36 centres that are being decommissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions.

The DWP said: “We no longer need the temporary space we acquired during the pandemic to accommodate social distancing. To continue providing our essential employment support and other services in a way that is cost efficient for the taxpayer, we are phasing out these temporarily leased sites and staff and all customer services will return to the nearby established Jobcentre.

“The closing of these temporary sites will not reduce our levels of service, or access to face-to-face appointments. Customers will return to being served by their established Jobcentre and there will be no reduction in the number of work coaches serving customers as a result.”

In February it had been announced 20 temporary sites would close and in May a further 19 followed.

Among those also on the latest list is Smithfield, Stoke-on-Trent and Chelmsley Wood Shopping Centre, Birmingham.

Temporary Jobcentres were put in place in direct response to the anticipated pressures on the labour market during the pandemic. The Department secured time-limited funding to rapidly introduce this additional space to deliver a temporary expansion to the existing network of 639 established Jobcentre sites

Several of the temporary sites, where they offer better, more suitable accommodation than existing offices - and provide better value for money for the taxpayer - will be retained. Established Jobcentres will move into these buildings.

More phases of temporary centre closures will follow throughout 2023 and 2024.

Letters are being sent to each MP with changes in their constituency to explain what this means for their local Jobcentre, its staff, and their constituents.