I AM writing on behalf of the Knighton and Presteigne branch of the Labour Party about the problem of jobseekers from Knighton being forced to sign on in Llandrindod Wells. Several jobseekers have mentioned that it is very difficult to travel without transport to Llandrindod Wells, attend an appointment and return in a reasonable period.
We have looked at the length of the total journey and it is very long. This means that jobseekers can wait around for several hours. The longest time excluding any travel to and from the station is nearly seven hours.
We have been conducting a local campaign to get more information and have come across examples of jobseekers wandering around Llandrindod for several hours without any money and elderly and frail family members providing transport. We have come across situations where people are not claiming at all when they should be; it also gives a completely misleading impression of the number of unemployed people in the community.
There used to be a local signing facility but this has been stopped. We would like to persuade the Department for Work and Pensions to provide a local facility again. We do not feel that the service is sensitive to the needs of remote rural communities. We also feel that there are many other communities who are affected by this problem.
RUTH FORRESTER
Knighton
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