Local MP David Davies has reacted strongly to news that Monmouth Jobcentre will close in March.
In a letter to Mr Davies, Ian Williams, District Manager of Jobcentre Plus, confirmed that Ministerial agreement had been received to shut the centre from Monday, 5th March following a period of consultation.
Mr Williams said customers would be required to attend Abergavenny Jobcentre to make claims, while for others it may be ‘more convenient’ to travel to Chepstow or Coleford.
He also said negotiations were currently taking place to provide a telephone point to access services. It is hoped this will be in the centre of Monmouth and will be in place before Monmouth Jobcentre closes.
Mr Davies said the people of Monmouth had ‘been treated with a great deal of contempt’.
“I am both shocked and surprised that the Minister would agree to this,” he said.
“This would simply not happen anywhere else. It is ludicrous that a town of 80,000 inhabitants will be denied facilities to help its inhabitants find employment and instead they will be further penalised by having to waste time and money travelling across the constituency to Abergavenny or Chepstow, or even across the border to Coleford.
“Everyone who lives in Monmouthshire knows that the public transport network is simply insufficient to meet the demands of people desperately looking for work and relying on their local outlet for assistance.
“I am afraid the people of Monmouth have once again been taken for granted”.