During his visit Mark met with the manager of the Centre, Ms Jane Gee and the Director of Jobcentre Plus in Essex, Mr Stuart Bennett, to talk about the local employment market and the support which Jobcentre Plus now provides to people seeking to gain employment in the local area. Rayleigh suffered a blow when E.ON, the town’s largest employer closed its call centre on London Road over a year ago but at least some of the staff who worked there have now found alternative employment, including in some cases with assistance from Jobcentre Plus staff.
Mark also spoke with the senior staff about the way in which reviews of entitlement to benefits, such as Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and the forthcoming introduction of the £26,000 Benefits Cap are being handled by the local office. Mark also heard about the improved courses and training opportunities which the organisation can now provide, to try and help people back into the labour market.
Commenting on his visit Mark Francois said:
“I had a very worthwhile visit to the Jobcentre plus in Rayleigh and spent quite a lot of time talking to the senior managers about what they are doing to help my constituents who are looking for work. I know that the labour market is tough at the moment but the staff in the office are trained to try and help job applicants give the best account of themselves when applying for jobs, as well as providing specialised support, for instance for jobseekers with disabilities. Issues relating to benefits and job-seeking often crop up at my regular constituency surgeries so I was pleased to have the opportunity to discuss these sorts of matters directly with the people who run the local office. I wish them well in their work of trying to help my constituents wherever they can.”