Mike Barker slams Council's failure to fill front-line position

6.00.00pm GMT Thu 14th Jan 2010

Mike Barker angry at Council's failure to fill front-line job

Darlington Council employs a Welfare Rights Manager whose job it is to help vulnerable people in the community access benefits to which they are entitled. Figures released recently show that, against a target of £600,000 in the six months to September 30th, 2009, the Council recovered just £516,000 for residents. The elderly, single parents and others on low incomes have lost out on crucial payments.

Mike Barker says people have missed out on this financial help because the authority has been without a Welfare Rights Manager since August last year. The previous holder of the post left the job five months ago and has still not been replaced.

"The job of the welfare officer is to help people get access to these benefits", said Mike.

"A lot of people don't know how the benefits system works. People need advice to find their way around a very complicated benefits system. The people most in need are the ones that have the least ability to negotiate the welfare system. They need specialist knowledge and advice to find their way around."

Mike Barker accused the ruling Labour administration of keeping the post open to save money.

"The last Welfare Rights Manager left at the end of August, and must have worked a months notice, yet the post is still unfilled. It shouldn't have taken six months to fill the post", he said.

"I think this has simply been a cost cutting measure. The Council left the post open so they could meet their target for savings for the year. The Council Leader tells us they are not making cuts which affect front line services, but if this is not a front line service, I don't know what is."

Reports prepared for the Council's Neighbourhood Services Scrutiny Committee reveal that claims which would have been processed by the Welfare Rights Manager have been on hold for nearly eight months.

"The decision to hold this post open for so long, simply to save on the Council's wages bill, is unacceptable. This is a crucial front-line job supporting the most vulnerable people in the Borough and should have been filled as soon as possible after the previous incumbent left," said Mike