A social security office has close permanently following a review of staff safety.
A total of 80 Job Seekers’ Allowance claimants who use the Cronk y Reayt complex in Port Erin will now have to travel into Douglas to sign on at Markwell House once a fortnight.
The closure of the office follows an incident at the social security office in Ramsey on July 8 when a lone female member of staff was threatened.
A 23-year-old from Ramsey has been remanded in custody to await sentencing, having pleaded guilty to a charge of provoking behaviour. The court heard that the member of staff had been left with real concern over her safety.
There have been no such incidents at the Port Erin office but social security bosses believe the building does not provide the protection needed for staff should they be similarly threatened.
‘The building is not fit for purpose, There is an issue of security with the lone member of staff who works there,’ said Ross Stephens, director of social security.
He said the JSA claimants were expected to travel to the Job Centre in Douglas regularly and so there would be no additional expense to sign on at the same time.
‘We expect job seekers to take reasonable steps to look for work. We would expect them not just to be sitting at home but to be in the Job Centre at least once a week. We will take into consideration the time it takes to travel into Douglas.’
Mr Stephens pointed out that there was no social security office in the west of the island and so JSA claimants from Peel already travel to Douglas to sign on, while those in Kirk Michael sign on in Ramsey.
He said that if alternative suitable accommodation becomes available a move back to the south of the island would be considered.
Mr Stephens said the office in Ramsey was not under threat and there would be no job losses as a result of the closure of the Port Erin office.