Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many jobcentres there are in the UK; and how many and what proportion of these are fully accessible for disabled people.

The DWP has a network of 637 permanent Jobcentres, and 164 temporary Jobcentres in Great Britain (Scotland, England and Wales). Each permanent Jobcentre was designed following relevant legislation at the time of the fit out work and remain compliant.

The DWP opened temporary Jobcentres in response to the COVID 19 pandemic; the vast majority of these centres were also accessible to the public. Where an accessible building could not be found, a temporary Jobcentre would be partnered with a permanent or ‘parent’ site. Before attending a first appointment, customers are asked if they have any access requirements and seen at a permanent site if needed.

The DWP prioritises customer accessibility in our buildings. Entrances are step free, doors are automated where possible, or team members will open doors for customers, and customers can be seen at ground floor or building entry level.

The DWP works to Approved Document M (or equivalent in the devolved nations) and BS8300; a building can meet the guidance in these documents, however a building may not be deemed to be ‘fully accessible’ in meeting the needs of each unique disability. Where individual accessibility challenges arise, we will work on a case-by-case basis to support our customers.