UK civil-service job cuts are 'damaging services'
A leading union today warned the government that job cuts in the civil service were damaging services after reports that benefit claimants were being given food vouchers as they waited to receive their money.
The Public and Commercial Services union said it was “scandalous” if people were having to rely on vouchers because of delays in the benefit system.
The union was commenting on reports that a Citizens Advice Bureau in Stirling, Scotland, had started handing out food vouchers because new claimants were waiting up to eight weeks to receive their benefit.
General secretary Mark Serwotka said: “It is scandalous that people are having to rely on food vouchers because the system is failing them due to arbitrary job cuts and office closures.
“There is a genuine fear that the situation will only get worse as more job cuts follow and more offices close.”
A Department of Work and Pensions spokesman said: “We are committed to providing a first class service to all our customers and are unaware of any situations where they have received food vouchers from CAB due to delays in payment. There are currently no significant backlogs of work in processing benefits claims in Scotland.
“In the very rare cases where customers experience delays in receiving benefit they can apply for emergency payments and these are normally paid within 48 hours, or claim a Social Fund Crisis Loan, by telephone, and currently these are normally cleared within three hours of receipt.”
PCS members are currently voting on whether to back a fresh campaign of industrial action in protest at job cuts, below inflation pay rises and privatisation.
