Benefits advice jobs saved for at least a year
Campaigners win reprieve for six staff
Published: 28th January, 2011
by TERRY MESSENGER
TRADE unionists were yesterday (Thursday) celebrating victory in their campaign to save the jobs of welfare advisors who help claimants obtain benefits.
Islington’s Labour council is set to reprieve six advice staff earmarked for redundancy in a £22.5million cuts package.
The “rights officers” work for the Town Hall’s income maximisation team (IMT), with each worker obtaining £700,000 in benefits for clients annually.
Labour finance chief Councillor Richard Greening said the staff should be able to keep their jobs – at least for another year.
He added: “In my view we shouldn’t go ahead with that particular cut. The government is scaling back welfare benefits and we are going to need resources to defend the interests of many ordinary people who depend on benefits.”
Mike Calvert, deputy secretary of trade union Islington Unison, welcomed the reprieve. “We think the welfare rights unit does a very good job,” he said.
The £239,000 staffing cut was contained in a package of around 200 economies being considered by the ruling Labour group.
Cllr Greening said: “I’m proposing to postpone the cut until next year.
“We are going to conduct a review of advice provision.”
The 35 ruling Labour councillors will finalise the cuts package at a closed meeting on Monday before making the measures public later next week.
The cuts are due to be ratified at a full council meeting on February 17.