Jobseekers are set to be given extra help by Work Coaches who tailor support to meet individual needs, as a three month trial is confirmed for Shipley.
The move follows demands from Shipley MP Philip Davies for more help after Wainman Street office job centre closed in January and merged with Bradford Eastbrook Court as part of a national reorganisation.
Mr Davies said: “I am delighted we will be getting a Work Coach and my constituents will be able to access vital help. Ministers in the Department for Work and Pensions know I was not happy with the level of outreach support given in Shipley when the job centre closed. My constituents deserve more and I hope this Work Coach will meet these needs.”
Mr Davies, who campaigned against job centre closures, repeatedly raised the issue with ministers in Parliament and wrote to ministers at the Department for Work and Pensions, urging action to ensure his constituents had regular access to workers.
Today in a letter to Mr Davies, Secretary of State for Department for Work and Pensions Esther McVey confirmed a three-month trial.
Ms McVey said: “We will be placing a Work Coach in a central Shipley location on three days per week for a trial period of three months. Our aim is to have this up and running within the next couple of weeks but we will run the ‘official’ trial from September to November this year.”
The location has not been confirmed but it is likely to be held in the library.