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New Jobs & Benefits office bringing a dynamic and modified service to Ballymena

17 June 2010

Employment and Learning Minister, Sir Reg Empey, and Social Development Minister, Alex Attwood, today officially opened the Jobs & Benefits office in Ballymena.

Speaking at the opening of the £4.7m new facility, that brings together the services provided by the Social Security Agency and the Department for Employment and Learning’s JobCentre, Sir Reg Empey said: “The new Jobs and Benefits office in Ballymena demonstrates our continued commitment to helping people to find and keep employment.  The joint effort of DEL and DSD and the resulting improvements we have made to the services we provide, demonstrates to the people of Ballymena our commitment to delivering first class assistance with finding work or training opportunities while also ensuring that customers receive the full support of the social security system.”

The Ballymena Jobs & Benefits office is the latest in a series of new offices to be opened in Northern Ireland and DSD Minister Alex Attwood highlighted the importance of the Welfare Reform programme adding: “Jobs & Benefits is part of an ambitious programme of reform. What you see here today in Ballymena is impressive in terms of the new accommodation but it’s the new service we are now providing that is the real achievement.  This integrated service is at the forefront of providing a change for the better in the social welfare system – a system that encourages people into work, provides security for those who can’t and is at the cutting edge of customer service delivery.”

Earlier the Ministers were welcomed to the new office by Margaret Stitt and BrianMcVey, District Managers at the Social Security Agency and the Department for Employment and Learning respectively.  During a tour of the new complex the Ministers met staff manning the new joint service to benefit customers and jobseekers.

Note to editors:

  1. The new office in Ballymena is one of the new 27 Jobs and Benefits offices throughout Northern Ireland. There are 8 further offices to be delivered in various locations throughout Northern Ireland.  The delivery of the remaining offices will be conditional on securing funding in the next Comprehensive Spending Review exercise, the outcome of which will be known by late 2010.
  2. The office has 89 staff.
  3. The benefit customer base includes 4,631people including sick or disabled, and lone parents.  A further 3,220 people are on the Jobseeker programme.  
  4. All media enquiries should be directed to the Department for Employment and Learning Communications Branch, on 028 9025 7872.  Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.