Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants will be required to travel further than the distance considered reasonable by his Department to attend appointments and research job vacancies following the closure of Pyle jobcentre.

The new site at Porthcawl is 4.9 miles and 35 minutes by public transport from Pyle Jobcentre. We undertook public consultation for offices over three miles and 20 minutes by public transport of their existing jobcentre. We have considered the points raised by respondents and although they do highlight difficulties for some claimants in making these changes, we have to balance the need to provide services along with the budget available to deliver those services.

Whilst we accept this may mean a longer journey for some claimants, we do also expect (subject to any specific circumstances) claimants to be available to take work within 90 minutes of their homes. We do not, therefore, consider the journey to Porthcawl Jobcentre to be excessive and claimants in other parts of the country do travel further. When a full-time jobcentre such as Pyle Jobcentre closes following a public consultation, we will put an ‘outreach’ service in place within the local community.