A single mum has asked for a refund after she drove 10 miles to her local Jobcentre only to discover it had been closed due to coronavirus.
Andrea Hill, 44, slammed the Department for Work and Pensions for failing to tell her of the changes to her local Jobcentre in Stock-on-Trent, accusing them of treating her like a "second-class citizen."
Instead, she had travelled the 10 miles from her home in Biddulph at 9:30am on the day of her appointment, only to find a sign saying that the centre was closed, reports Stoke-on-Trent Live.
But the 44-year-old wasn't the only one to be turned away, as the publication revealed that two bus passengers and a motorist had also turned up that morning.
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She said: "It’s annoying because I paid to get there and had no idea. It was rude.
"If we miss our appointment or are late we get sanctioned. If you don’t turn up or you miss your appointment more than once you get sanctioned so your benefits get stopped until you go back in and explain why you were off or if you had a medical reason why you were not there.
"You have to inform them through your journal and it’s up to them to decide if that’s an appropriate excuse.
"It's double standards. They’ve not notified us and there’s no sanction for them.
"It’s frustrating. I’m a single parent with two kids and that extra petrol money has been used. I’ve had to take time out of my day to get there. I know I am unemployed but it’s still about respect and they are treating us like we are stupid.
"Just because we are unemployed we are not second-rate citizens. I felt like we were treated like second-class citizens and it’s all on their terms. It’s not right."They are a double-edged sword.
"They can punish you for not turning up on their terms. I even asked them how do I claim my petrol back? And they said I have to do it next week when I come in. I’m not sure how much fuel it cost but it’s a 10-mile round trip. It cost me my time and petrol.
"I rushed around and got my six-year-old to school and then went straight to Kidsgrove so I could be there on time. I have got a 15-year-old who walks to school. I have to arrange these appointments around the school run."
Andrea received a text message from the DWP regarding the cancelled appointment as she was leaving the jobcentre on Wednesday morning.
The DWP has confirmed that the building was closed for a deep clean. It said staff contacted affected customers virtually.
A DWP spokesman said: "Staff and customer safety is our priority as our Jobcentres provide vital support to those who need it.
"We continue to work closely with the unions to ensure our sites are Covid-secure in line with public health and Government guidance and keep health and safety under constant review."
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