DWP Lincoln City Hall Office Closure

The DWP has announced the closure of Lincoln City Hall office in an ill-thought-out and unnecessary move which will put 128 experienced, front line DWP officers at risk of redundancy. The DWP group executive committee has long campaigned against office closures and we are urging all members to sign the e-action to bring this decision and our campaign to the attention of your MP.

The decision to close the office is part of an outdated 2016 estates strategy and PCS is demanding that the department abandons its plans in favour of a modern strategy that fully takes account of government’s drive to ‘transform’ social security. The transformation is dependent on having experienced staff in local offices. This, and any other office closure, runs contrary to that requirement.

PCS has been advised that the Jobcentre in the same building will remain open.

PCS must show a collective response

It's vital that PCS members get involved in this campaign: while it is Lincoln today, it might be any of our offices tomorrow.

PCS believes that the decision to close Lincoln City Hall, removing processing and call centre work out of that vicinity not only puts 128 members of staff at risk of redundancy, but will prove to be the thin end of the wedge for office closures. There are still a significant number of sites on the DWP’s radar that are deemed “transitional”. We must now assume that DWP will move to close those offices putting hundreds more jobs at risk.

Fears for the future

Members working in DWP Lincoln Contact Centre have been telling us how they feel about their office closing. Some of the testimonies received are very upsetting and demonstrate just how callous this DWP decision is.

One member said: “I have neurodiversity, physical disabilities and multiple things in place at work to enable my attendance at the office. I’m a full time single parent, no other source of income, no maintenance and have two neurodivergent children. 

"My only ‘childcare’ is my pension age mother who has her own health issues. I work set days and hours to accommodate mine and their needs, I am term time too. With all of these extra things I require I feel they will say that I am unemployable and I will not be offered another position or would need to give up something which I can’t do. I am tied to Lincoln because of this and fearful for my future.”

Another said: “I live on my own and rely on this full time job for everything – it is my sole income. 

"I have health issues that are only going to get worse – nerve damage in my legs has a profound effect on my quality of life, but working hybrid hours has been perfect for me. I was only told a few weeks ago that I need an operation which will have a long convalescence. I was already extremely stressed about how I was going to manage this, but I consoled myself that at least I had my sick pay to cover me.  

"I am now so overwhelmed with stress worrying about how this is going to pan out whilst trying to find redeployment.  

"The DWP are very short of answers to any questions that we have and I feel very let down after 17 years working in the Lincoln office.”

Please sign the e-action or write personally to your MP asking them to raise this in the Commons, and watch out for any other campaign events that you can take part in.

We must show DWP that we will not stand by and accept the closing down of the social security estate.