Jobcentre Minus?

Came across this article in the Mirror, regarding plans to 'divest' or close Jobcentres.

Of the two centres near me, one is listed as planned for closure. Ironically it is the one that, thanks to the bus service previously 'divesting' its service from that route, I can't get to with any reliability (unless I want to sit on a bench for two hours either way). This doesn't really help me because it happens to be a preferable (i.e. quieter) choice; the other one is in a bigger town and is thus a lot busier.

I don't like busier anymore than I trust the ageing overweight security guards to keep me safe if it all kicks off.

When I was last there, it was to pay off a budgeting loan (they don't exist anymore) from the DWP. I had previously rung the Budgeting Loans department to ask and was told that I could attend and make a payment in person. I happened to have the means to pay it off and thought it was the best course of action (you may well ask why I'd want to hand money to the DWP). Of course what happens when I turn up? "Oh we can't accept payments". Instead, and bizarrely, I'm told to use their phones to ring their office to ask them if the person telling me they can't accept payments...can accept payments.

To coin a phrase, I shit you not.

I haven't been there in a few years. I don't really ever want to go back. I just thought I'd mention the situation and people can see (scroll down the article to find the link to the list) what might be happening locally.

Of course for people that have to manage their money and struggle with travel this is yet another issue to have to deal with. It never seems to end.