Magherafelt gets £1.3m benefits office

The opening of a £1.3 million Jobs and Benefits Office in Magherafelt has demonstrated government’s continued commitment to social and financial inclusion.

This is according to John Hunter, Permanent Secretary at the Department for Social Development who was speaking at the official opening of the new facility that integrates the services provided by the Social Security Agency and the Department for Employment and Learning’s JobCentre.

Mr Hunter said: “Our joint effort and the improvements we have made to the services we provide, demonstrates to the people of Magherafelt our commitment to helping them receive the full support of the social security system and helping them finding work. These services will be offered with the customer in mind and our aim is to provide practical support in a friendly efficient environment.”

Highlighting the roll out of similar Jobs and Benefits offices throughout Northern Ireland he added:

“The Jobs and Benefits initiative is part of an ambitious programme of reform, probably the biggest of its kind in Northern Ireland, but is just part of our overall programme. We also will be addressing issues around poverty, homelessness, social and financial inclusion and investing in our neighbourhood and towns."

Earlier Mr Hunter was welcomed to the Station Road office by Michelle O’Hagan, Social Security Agency office manager and Cathy Calderwood, JobCentre manager, and accompanied on a tour of the new office by Dr Robson Davison, Deputy Secretary at the Department for Employment and Learning.

The new office in Magherafelt is one of the 11 Jobs and Benefits offices throughout Northern Ireland.

Plans are in place to convert the remaining offices to the new way of working over the next three years.

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