Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Why Not Just Go And Talk To Them?

Polly Toynbee writes:
No, said the Department for Work and Pensions, you can't visit a jobcentre to talk to social fund claimants. That's the first no I've ever had from the DWP's press officers, always helpful under both Labour and Tory governments.

Coincidentally I was picking up a friend from the Jobcentre yesterday, I managed to get inside and speak to people. I wasn't interviewing anyone obviously but I didn't get the impression I'd be told to get lost if I had. It's not like a prison or a Tuscan villa where you need a permit to get over the wall.

I'm told some inner city Jobcentres have guards on site but even then surely she could wait outside- or get some Guardian intern to wait outside- and speak to people going in or out.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe it is because it was Polly who was asking. The DWP know full well that St Polly of Priveleged Upbringing would just cherry pick and give Guardian readers her own myopic view of "poor" people.

Gary said...

Would we expect our Prime Minister to arrive in Paris and speak to the various members of the French Govt who were available? Would we expect the Pope to arrive at St. Pauls unannounced?

Of course not, and nobody else of similar importance would turn up at a UK Govt facility without clearing it first.

What epic self regard.

James Higham said...

I was picking up a friend from the Jobcentre yesterday ...

There's the first line of your new novel.