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A ‘temporary’ jobcentre in Peterborough that opened to help staff deal with a surge in employers looking to fill vacancies after lockdown is to shut.

The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced the Jobcentre in offices in Northminster will close along with 35 other ‘temporary’ Jobcentres across the country.

The service, which operated to support the existing Jobcentre in Bridge Street, was created to allow staff to provide face to face services for as many people as possible. The Jobcentre in Bridge Street will remain open.

Top, Employment Minister Mims Davis, centre, with Julia Nix, the DWP district manager and Dave Lancaster district operations leader for Cambridgeshire DWP in June 2021. Below, Employment Minister Mims Davis officially opens the new Job Centre at Northminster House, Peterborough

The new service created up to 87 work coach jobs and it is understood that no jobs will be lost with the closure with staff moving to other Jobcentres.

The DWP says it no longer requires the temporary space that was acquired on a three year lease during the Covid-19 pandemic to allow for social distancing.

It has not given an official date for the closure but hopes to complete all the closures by the end of next January.

Peterborough’s extra Jobcentre was declared open in June 2021 by the then Employment minister Mims Davies after the Government announced its Plan for Jobs as the country sought to ‘bounce back’ after the pandemic.

At the time Mr Davies said: “We know this has been a challenging time for many people and that’s why we’re boosting our DWP Jobcentre support in every corner of the UK, including here in Peterborough.

She added: "Every customer benefits from a dedicated Work Coach.

“Our Work Coaches are there to help people get back on their feet.”

'Temporary' Jobcentre in Peterborough is set to close