UNIVERSAL CREDIT SERVICE CENTRE STAFFING

That this House notes staff working in universal credit service centres in Walsall and Wolverhampton have voted overwhelmingly to take strike action over excessive workloads, insufficient recruitment and lack of consultation between employer and staff; further notes that 90.2 per cent of members voted for strike action on a 55.8 per cent turnout; is alarmed that staff at both centres continue to struggle with an ever-increasing workload with case managers taking more than 30 calls per day compared with the management average figures of 38 calls per week; is concerned that growing call volumes in these service centres are leading to increased delays and a lack of engagement between staff and claimants via the online journal system; is aware that now full universal credit roll-out has been completed, the intensive first assessment period for claimants will further increase workloads, unless management adjust staffing levels accordingly to accommodate this; believes that management must engage fully with staff and unions when attempting to deal with such issues rather than redirecting staff from case management to national telephony at short notice; and calls on the Government to listen to the concerns of frontline staff members and ensure that sufficient permanent staff are recruited across all universal credit service centres to enable claimants to receive the support that they deserve.