John Whittingdale MP was pleased to be able to visit the Chelmsford Jobcentre at the Gemini Centre, to meet Dave Cope, the Service Leader for Essex, and staff.
He was delighted to hear about the success of the Way To Work programme which aims to help half a million job ready claimants in the UK, into work by the end of June. Unemployment in the UK now stands at a 50 year low, and in Essex, the programme has already benefitted 30,000 claimants who have moved from Universal Credit into paid employment.
John said: “Unemployment in the Maldon constituency remains low with 1,180 claimants in May, 2.2 per cent of the working population against a UK rate of 3.8 per cent. This is a fall of 995 in the past year. However, the JobCentre is playing an important role helping these people find work and I am particularly pleased to learn that the Maldon JobCentre in the District Council office is to reopen next month. I also welcome the efforts being made to clear the backlog of assessments for Personal Independence Payments and ability to work.”
Helping people find the security of a stable income, through a job they can take pride in, is one of the best ways to support their families. The Government and it’s agencies like Jobcentre, are committed to doing all they can to support people in these challenging times.
