Preston job centre to move to new premises

The job centre's new premises will be at Duchy House on Lancaster Road, a site that is currently used by the DWP.

The move was announced yesterday as part of a streamlining of DWP offices across the country - a move which is hoped will save around £180 million a year for the next 10 years.

No official time-scale for the move has been announced.

Two other DWP sites at Holborn House on Caxton Road and Barry House on London Road are also set to be 'divested'.

Damian Hinds, Minster for Employment said: "We will always make sure that people have the support they need to get into and progress within work, that’s why we are recruiting 2,500 more work coaches to help those who need it most.

"The way the world works has changed rapidly in the last 20 years and the welfare state needs to keep pace. As more people access their benefits through the internet many of our buildings are under-used. We are concentrating our resources on what we know best helps people into work.

"The changes we’ve announced today will help ensure that the way we deliver our services reflect the reality of today’s welfare system.

Yesterday's announcements include proposals for:

- merging 78 smaller Jobcentre Plus offices in urban areas with larger ones nearby

- co-locating around 50 Jobcentre Plus offices with local authorities or other community services to provide joined-up services for the local community with all services in one place

- closing 27 back office buildings around the country and developing larger, more efficient processing sites including opening 5 new large service centres across the country in a phased approach starting in 2018

- retaining over 700 existing offices

- re-organising the corporate centre to make maximum use of 6 regional corporate hubs, including establishing a new office in central Manchester