Jobs move cutand delayed

The State Pension jobs were supposed to be relocated to Londonderry from Belfast this Spring to create a new single Northern Ireland Pension Centre but Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland has now revealed that the switch will not commence until July.

It’s not the first time the Social Security Agency (SSA) shake-up has been subject to change. Mr McCausland’s predecessor Alex Atwood originally announced around 95 posts based in Belfast were to be relocated to sit alongside 300 staff administering Pension Credit in Londonderry.

However, this was subsequently slashed to 87 jobs and the move was supposed to have been finished by now.

The Minister revealed the delay in response to an Assembly Question from DUP MLA Peter Weir suggesting the move was progressing as scheduled.

But the move is not going ahead as scheduled because last October Mr McCausland said: “The state pension function of the Department, currently based in Belfast, will be relocating to Londonderry in the spring of 2012 to create a new single Northern Ireland Pension Centre. 87 posts will therefore relocate to Londonderry.”

Now he has stated: “The relocation of State Pension services from Windsor House in Belfast to Carlisle House, Londonderry is progressing as scheduled.

“The necessary numbers of staff required for the new Pension Centre have been recruited and trained resulting in over 80 staff who worked in other locations

across Northern Ireland being able to work in a location close to home.

“The staff who previously worked in State Pension have been redeployed to fill vacant posts across my department in the Belfast area.

“The accommodation work and associated IT and telephony changes required at the existing Pension Centre at Carlisle House to effect the transfer of services is close to finalisation and, subject to this being completed as planned, the relocation will take place in July this year.

“The transfer of services is also designed in such a way that customers are not required to undertake any additional or new activities when contacting the State Pension service.”