Meeting over SSA closure threats

Meeting over SSA closure threats

5 October 2016

A PUBLIC meeting is being held in Ballynahinch next week to discuss the proposed closure of the town’s Social Security office.

The meeting is being held at the Market House next Thursday, October 13, at 7pm and comes as political pressure to keep open the Ballynahinch office, and another in Newcastle, is ramped up.

South Down MP Margaret Ritchie has called for both offices to be spared from the axe, while Strangford MLA Philip Smith has voiced frustration that an urgent question to Communities Minister Paul Givan about the proposed closure of the Ballynahinch office has not been answered.

Miss Ritchie warned the closure of the local offices will not only remove an essential public service from both towns, but force people in financial need and hardship to travel further distances in rural areas such as Kilcoo, Drumaroad and Leitrim to seek welfare benefit advice in Downpatrick and Kilkeel.

“Many of these claimants may not have personal transport and find great challenges in accessing buses as some of these areas are not served by direct public transport,” said Miss Ritchie. “Having read the consultation documents published by Mr Givan’s department, it would appear that the proposed closures are based on the fact that the existing offices are unfit for purpose, particularly in the context of the requirements of new welfare reform legislation. Why is there no plan to improve or replace the existing offices?

“It would appear that neither Mr Givan nor his senior officials have taken into account the needs of the wider community; the importance of public service offices with associated civil service jobs in the local economies of Newcastle and Ballynahinch and the fact that new welfare reform requirements involving Universal Credit require many face to face interviews.”

The MP is also demanding to know what efforts have been made by Minister Givan and his senior staff to find alternative accommodation in Ballynahinch and Newcastle.

She continued: “It seems that financial cost factors are more important than the needs of existing and potential benefit applicants and the staff who live in the local community and need to live close by because of their caring responsibilities. Many of the staff in both offices are women with young children and elderly parents requiring care and attention.

Mr Smith has asked Minister Givan to outline any proposals he has to mitigate the financial impact for clients who will be forced to travel to alternative locations to ‘sign on’ or to speak to Jobs and Benefits Office staff. The MLA said within the Northern Ireland Assembly, urgent questions are supposed to be answered within two days of them being submitted.

“I want to be able to inform service users of their options while the consultation is taking place, which is why the question was asked as a priority. People should have all the information necessary to make a balanced and informed decision. After one week of no response from the Minister I asked the question a second time and again I am still waiting for a response,” he continued.

“The cost of a return bus ticket to Downpatrick which is the nearest alternative office is £6.80. That is a significant sum out of a claimant’s benefit and doesn’t take into account that the Ballynahinch office serves a wide catchment area. 

“The 329 people who regularly use this office need to hear from the Minister how he is going to minimise the impact of this proposed closure on their income and lives. His silence to date is not encouraging.”