Union claims cuts may cost 1,000 Yorkshire jobs

The DWP has told its staff across the country that it plans to cut 3,000 of its 10,000 corporate posts, around 2,000 of which are based in Sheffield.

Martin John, national officer for the PCS civil service union, which is involved in a row with the Government over pensions, said staff were concerned.

He added: “The number of job losses represents almost a third of corporate posts. In Sheffield, there are 2,000 corporate staff, so between 500 and 1,000 could go.

“A lot of these job losses will be expert specialist posts. If the Government was serious about responding to rising unemployment it would be increasing the capacity of the DWP not making these cuts. There is so much work for staff to do at present that they cannot cope.”

The DWP has already announced the closure of its office at Mayfield Court in West Street, Sheffield, where between 300 and 400 staff work.

Managers said they were not expecting compulsory redundancies and staff should be offered alternative posts.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: “Nationally, we are reducing corporate posts by about 3,000 between 2011 and 2015. Because many posts have flexible locations it’s not possible to say how many of these will be in Sheffield.”