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The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced its plans to close 20 Jobcentre sites in the UK, including one in Leeds. The closures will affect temporary Jobcentres set up by the DWP during the Covid pandemic in order to adhere to social distancing guidelines.

However, despite the closures, government officials have said that no employees of the affected branches will lose their jobs. Instead, they will be transferred to their local Jobcentre. It is expected that the affected Jobcentre sites would permanently close their doors in the coming weeks.

By the end of March, all the 20 sites will have been decommissioned and claimants are advised to return to their original Jobcentre locations and people may locate the nearest branch on the Jobcentre website.

A DWP spokesperson said: “We no longer need the temporary space we acquired during the pandemic to accommodate social distancing. To continue providing our essential employment support and other services in a way that is cost efficient for the taxpayer, we are phasing out these temporarily leased sites and staff and all customer services will return to the nearby established jobcentre.

“The closing of these temporary sites will not reduce our levels of service, or access to face-to-face appointments. Customers will return to being served by their established Jobcentre and there will be no reduction in the number of Work Coaches serving customers as a result.”

DWP to close 20 temporary Jobcentre sites including in Leeds, full list

Full list of UK Jobcentre sites affected by closures

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