REAL LIVES Welfare
WORKING FOR THE REGIME
When the government “cracks down” on claimants, trade union colleagues who work in job centres and benefit offices can find themselves in the front line. As civil servants, they have to carry out government policies they don’t agree with. If they don’t, they could get sacked.
There’s been a huge culture change since the Tories got back. Claimants used to be called ‘customers’ under the last government. Now it’s back to the “more demeaning claimants”, says Paul Barton, assistant secretary of the PCS union’s DWP group, where 20,000 jobs have been cut in the past two years.
“Our members are having to work harder, under a harsher regime, often doing things they really don’t like doing. It can be very stressful. There is huge unease that people are suffering from the cuts.”
Computers have been hurled by angry claimants in open plan offices, knives
have been pulled on staff, says Paul. Attacks on staff are not new – but they’ve increased in the past two years, as have suicide threats from obviously distressed people, which can be upsetting for both front-line and call centre staff.
“This administration is hell-bent on dismantling the existing welfare state”, says Paul. The benefit cap – which means no family can receive more than £26,000 a year for housing and all other benefits – threatens more misery. It comes on stream in April in four outer London boroughs, where rents have soared and across the UK later in the year. “People are really unprepared,” Paul adds.
“It’s quite rewarding trying to get people into work, getting the benefits they’re entitled to, helping them through difficult times. But the balance of the job has changed. It’s far more stressful and much less satisfying.
28 uniteWORKS March/April 2013
BY HELEN HAGUE
These days it’s easy to attack those who work in benefit centres – but as union colleagues we’re fighting the same battle
“We used to give money advice to people who were struggling and in debt, under the old social fund regime. That withered ages ago. Now we just signpost people and tell them to contact citizens advice.” The social fund will be wound up completely in April.
There’s yet more in store, as Steve Cawkwell, PCS DWP secretary spells out. “The new universal credit which will come in incrementally from this autumn will replace virtually every benefit. We estimate 44 per cent of PCS members will be entitled to receive it.
“There are so many PCS members, who although, like many Unite members, may not have been out of work, may have a mortgage, a car, a pension – are finding that without pay rises and attacks on benefits, life is getting tougher every month. These are the new ‘working poor’. Don’t say you haven’t been warned. And don’t get angry – get organised.”
John Harris/
reportdigital.co.uk
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