Meeting to debate closure of Social Security offices

Meeting to debate closure of Social Security offices

8 August 2012

A PUBLIC meeting is to be held in Downpatrick to discuss controversial proposals to downgrade Social Security Agency offices across the district.

The meeting is being organised by the town’s Chamber of Commerce in response to a radical shake-up of services which will impact on staff working in offices in Downpatrick, Newcastle and Ballynahinch.

Officials currently responsible for processing income support and jobseekers allowance payments are to transfer out of the area as the service is being centralised.

The Social Security Agency is creating a number of new payment processing centres across the Province with local staff expected to be relocated to either Lurgan or Newry this November.

Centralising services will dramatically reduce the number of staff working locally who in future will only be capable of providing advice and a limited number of payments to claimants.

Chamber of Commerce president Tracey Quail said there was “widespread concern” about the Social Security Agency’s proposals to move staff out of the three local offices.

“The Chamber shares the concern of many about what’s being proposed and the impact it will have on people who rely on services the offices provide, the staff who work there and local businesses,” she said.

“No date has yet been set for the public meeting which we hope will be very well supported.”

News of the meeting has been welcomed by Downpatrick councillor Gareth Sharvin, who has called for the proposal to transfer Social Security staff out of the district to be overturned.

He said the local offices need to be retained to protect jobs, meet the needs of customers and ensure the district’s economy doesn’t suffer another blow as a result of public sector jobs being transferred out of the town.

“We are living in tough times when local businesses are struggling for custom. The proposal to move staff from the three local offices will, without a doubt, have a major negative impact on local trade,” said Councillor Sharvin.

“We have to remember that those who work in the three offices across the district shop locally for lunch, groceries and clothes this trade will be lost.”