Strike action planned over threat to 80 jobs at Lincoln Support Centre of Department of Work and Pensions

Strikes will take place over the threat of 80 Lincoln staff losing their jobs at a Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) centre in the city.

The Lincoln Support Centre, which is run by the DWP within City Hall, is set to close in May 2026.

Public and Commercial Services members based in the centre will strike from November 4 to November 17 after members overwhelmingly backed industrial action.

The union described the closure as a “callous decision” which would take away valuable local services.

It says that the nearest service centre is 40 miles away, meaning redeployment there would be very challenging for staff.

The DWP say staff made redundant will be helped to find new jobs in this or other government departments.

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “After giving decades of dedicated service to the DWP, many of our members in the Lincoln Service Centre are now being cast aside with little remorse.

“Through no fault of their own, they face a desperate search for a good job in the Lincoln area.

“Yet they will fight this callous decision with all they have to show the DWP that it must maintain a service centre presence in Lincoln for the benefit of both the community and the committed local workforce.”

86 per cent of members voted for the strike, with a turnout of 61 per cent.

Bradley Wall, secretary of Lincoln and District Trades Council, said: “This vote shows the strength, pride, and determination of Lincoln’s workforce. These are dedicated public servants who care deeply about the people they support and the communities they live in.

“Closing this office would be a betrayal — not just of the staff, but of Lincolnshire itself. We stand shoulder to shoulder with PCS members in their fight to defend jobs, dignity, and public service.”

A spokesperson for the DWP said: “The closure of Lincoln City Hall Service and Support Centre will have no impact on Lincoln Jobcentre, which remains fully operational, nor on the vital services we deliver to customers.

“We continue to engage with trade union representatives to support colleagues, with redeployment opportunities wherever possible.”