SHADOW employment minister Margaret Greenwood has pledged to fight plans to close a Jobcentre in her Wirral West constituency.

Ms Greenwood said an announcement by the Department of Work and Pensions that the Hoylake office is to be axed will only add to financial difficulties faced by unemployed people.

Hoylake is one of eight Merseyside branches earmarked for closure.

Services currently offered at the Market Street centre will be moved to West Kirby Concourse.

The closures follows DWP research that revealed 20% of the department’s office space was under-used.

Ms Greenwood said: "This closure will make it harder for people in Wirral West to access employment support.

"The extra cost of bus fares to travel to the Jobcentre will add to the financial difficulties many job-seekers face.

"I am particularly concerned about what this will mean for people with disabilities.

"The Government says it wants to half the disability employment gap so that disabled people will be able to secure decent jobs.

"Closing Jobcentres is the wrong way to go about doing this."

The MP added: "There are reports too that there will be 750 jobs lost nationally and I am very concerned that some of those will affect people in Wirral.

"The decision to close Hoylake along with many others up and down the country signals further withdrawal of government support for our social security system.

"At a time of job insecurity and low wages it really is important we have a reliable and accessible social security system to provide support for people should they fall on hard times."

Jobcentres in Birkenhead, Upton and Bromborough will remain open.

Last year Liscard Jobcentre was axed with staff and services transferred to Birkenhead.

Mark Serwotka of the Public and Commercial Services Union said: "Jobcentres provide a lifeline for unemployed people, and forcing them to travel further is not only unfair it undermines support to get them back to work.

"We are opposed to these closures and will vigorously fight any attempt to force DWP workers out of their jobs."

Employment minister Damian Hinds said: "We will always make sure that people have the support they need to get into and progress within work, that's why we are recruiting 2,500 more work coaches to help those who need it most.

"The way the world works has changed rapidly in the last 20 years and the welfare state needs to keep pace.

"As more people access their benefits through the internet many of our buildings are under-used.

"We are concentrating our resources on what we know best helps people into work.

"The changes we've announced will help ensure that the way we deliver our services reflect the reality of today’s welfare system."

The plans are subject to a public consultation exercise.