4 March 2008 – Jobcentre Plus staff get an 80% approval rating

A survey of Jobcentre Plus customers has revealed that 80% of those using the service are happy with their experience. This rises to 89% for those dealing face to face with Jobcentre Plus advisers.

Welcoming the research, Stephen Timms, Minister for Employment said:

“The results of this survey are testament to the professionalism and expertise of our staff. Customers can access Jobcentre Plus services through a range of means, including over the phone or face to face, but whichever way they choose, they can be sure to be met by friendly and enthusiastic staff.

“Our new, modern Jobcentre Plus offices, the roll out of which was praised by the National Audit Office in a report 2 weeks ago, provide a friendly and relaxed atmosphere for jobseekers to meet with personal advisers. It is clear that our customers value this personalised service as the results of this survey show, with the customer satisfaction rating for face to face meetings rising to 89%.”

The Survey results are based on telephone interviews with over 4000 Jobcentre Plus customers claiming Jobseekers Allowance (JSA), Incapacity Benefit (IB) and Income Support (IS) between July and August 2007.

Notes to editors

1. The DWP research report Jobcentre Plus Customer Satisfaction Survey 2007 is published on 4th March 2008.

2. The research was conducted by the Policy Research Institute at Leeds Metropolitan University in July and August 2007.

3. The National Audit Office report on the roll-out of the Jobcentre Plus office network was published on 22nd February 2008 http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/07-08/0708346.pdf

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