Southern benefits office closed yesterday

Ghooin offish chooney cadjin argidoil y JIass y laa jea

Ghooin y Tashtey e offish chooney cadjin argidoil ayns Purt Çhiarn y laa jea - cur er aggyrtee troailt gys Doolish dy hignal er.

Ta sharvaantyn theayagh er ghra nagh vel yn offish sauçhey, kyndagh rish sess-gaue ny lurg baggyrt er oltey-skimmee ayns Rhumsaa.

Agh cha bee cooney argidoil ry-gheddyn son troailt, da mysh kiare feed dy leih ta gaggyrt cooney cadjin argidoil - bee orroosyn goll gys Thie Çhibbyr y Vargee ayns Doolish dy hignal er gagh kegeesh.

Bill Henderson, Oltey jeh'n Choonseil Slattyssagh as oltey politickagh jeh'n Tashtey lesh freggyrtys son Kiarail y Theay, t'eh gra dy row scrutaghtyn jeant erreish da oltey-skimmee ayns Rhumsaa v'er ny vaggyrt lesh elgys.

Ta Mnr Henderson gra nagh vel agh un raad stiagh as magh ec offish Phurt Çhiarn. Myr shen, cha nel raad-scapail ec y skimmee my t'ad goll er baggyrt.

T'eh gra dy jean y caghlaa boirey er aggyrtee, agh, tra vees ad ayns Doolish, foddee ad cur shilley er yn ynnyd-startey myrgeddin.

As dooyrt eh ny sodjey, my hed ynnydyn elley er feddyn, oddagh offish noa goll er fosley, cur er-ash shirveishyn sy Jiass.

Ta'n Tashtey gra dy vel ad jerkal dy jean gagh shirreyder-startey cur shilley er yn ynnyd-startey ansherbee - as sleih ta cummal ayns Purt ny h-Inshey, shegin daue troailt gys y preeu-valley dy hignal er hannah.


Southern benefits office closed yesterday

The Treasury closed its Port Erin benefits office yesterday - forcing claimants to travel to Douglas to sign on instead.

Civil servants have branded the premises unsafe following a risk assessment in the wake of a member of staff in Ramsey being threatened.

But there'll be no help with travel expenses for the 80 or so benefits claimants who'll now have to go to Markwell House in Douglas to sign on every fortnight.

Bill Henderson MLC, political member of the Treasury with responsibility for Social Security, says checks were carried out after an incident in Ramsey during which a member of staff was threatened with violence.

Mr Henderson says the Port Erin office has just one way in and out, giving staff no way of escape if they're threatened.

He says the move will inconvenience claimants but says while they're in Douglas, they can also visit the Jobcentre.

And he added it's possible if other premises can be found, a new office could open, reinstating services in the South.

The Treasury says it expects all jobseekers to visit the Jobcentre in person anyway - and people living in Peel already have to travel to the capital to sign on.