Brighton mum blast job centre for pram refusal (From The Argus)

Brighton mum blast job centre for pram refusal

1:00pm Monday 7th December 2009

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A mother trying to get back into work has criticised staff at a job centre for refusing to help her carry her child’s pram upstairs.

Melanie Vaughan said she was left to struggle up and down the stairs to an appointment after security staff said they were unable to help her.

She had visited the Jobcentre Plus in Edward Street, Brighton, for a meeting about her Job Seekers Allowance with her 21-month-old daughter Lily-Rose.

However her appointment was on the first-floor of the building.

She said: “Last time I went with my eldest son and he helped me carry the pram up the stairs.

“But this time I was on my own. There are so many security staff at the entrance talking to each other and I asked them to help and they said ‘we are not able to do that’.

“I understand for health and safety reasons, but surely they could train someone to help people up the stairs.

“I asked them why they hadn’t got a lift and they told me they do have one but it’s for staff only.

“It is making it difficult for parents like me to access services. We can’t always afford child care just for a half hour appointment.

“It need addressing because I don’t think I can be the only one.”

A Jobcentre Plus spokeswoman confirmed the lift was only for staff use.

She said: “Jobcentre Plus wants to make it easy for people to use our services and our personal advisers are there to help people get back to work as quickly as possible.

"If someone is having difficulty accessing any of our services they should raise this with their personal advisor or the Jobcentre Plus manager.

"Customers who find it difficult to access the second floor Brighton Jobcentre Plus can have their appointments on the ground floor and we will be arranging that in this case."

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