DWP Jobcentre security guards ‘suffer’ and turn to food banks as wages fail to cover basics
As DWP Jobcentres close across the country, the Big Issue attended a rally of striking security guards outside the supreme court as they demand better pay and working conditions
Jobcentre security guards on the picket line outside the Supreme Court in Westminster. Image: Big Issue
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Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) security guards claim they are “suffering” and unable to afford essentials like food and heating while earning the minimum wage.
A large number of Jobcentres and offices across the country have closed again this week as security guards demand better wages from security company G4S, who are contracted by the DWP.
Security guards rallied outside the Supreme Court and marched to the DWP on Wednesday (17 July) and brought raucous to Westminster on the day of the King’s Speech.
As roads were cordoned off to allow the King to pass through, tourists slowed to watch the security guards – most of whom earn the national minimum wage of £11.44 an hour – shout and blow whistles to hold their employer and the DWP to account.
“We want pay and we want it now!” they yelled. “Shame on you G4S!”
Jamiu Ibarapa, a security guard at the rally, says: “Most of our members cannot afford to put food on their tables for their families. We were borrowing money to come to work. We were borrowing money to get to the end of the month. We are all living in this country.
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“We know the cost of living has gone high. The rent has gone high. Everything has gone high. Electricity bills have gone high. Water has gone high. How come all of these costs are going up and our wages remain constant? G4S needs to explain to us and our union why they cannot pay us.”
Jobcentre security guard Jamiu Ibarapa says that the DWP and G4S is “not taking care” of people like him. Image: Big Issue
G4S offered security guards a 6.5% pay rise from April 2023, and an average 9.3% pay rise from December 2023 to April 2024 – but the unions say this is a “below-inflation pay offer that would keep these security guards trapped in poverty“.
“We as the security officers and security guards for the DWP, we are not being taken care of. We are the chicken that lays the golden egg, but the chicken that lays the golden egg is being made to suffer,” Ibarapa adds.
“The new government has promised a change. We want that change, and G4S needs to tell us why that change is not happening.”
According to GMB, G4S has received £211m from the DWP between December 2022 and March 2024. The union is calling on DWP to reflect on the impact the dispute is having and step in to hold G4S accountable.
John Colquhoun, a senior organiser at the GMB, says: “Security guards in Jobcentres do a dangerous job. It’s their job to keep everyone safe, both people coming in and other staff. About 90% of them are paid the national minimum wage which, as you can imagine, just doesn’t cut it.
“They are struggling to pay their bills. We’ve got people using food banks. At the moment, G4S have only put an extra 23p an hour on the table, which isn’t enough. We’re looking for more than that. It’s part of a national dispute. We’ve had job centres up and down the country close while the strikes are on.
“This is an extra show of strength. We’ve got people from our southern region, London region, from Wales and the southwest. This is about making their voices heard. We’re marching round to the DWP headquarters and demanding a better pay rise for them.”
The Big Issue has previously reported on the pressures faced by Jobcentre staff – with the DWP facing an “epidemic of mental ill health” among its staff due to pressures and “poor working conditions”, according to previous research by the PCS.
Tony Smith, another DWP security guard, said that he experienced bruising over the winter because he was using a hot water bottle to keep himself warm at night instead because he could not afford to put on the heating.
“We need a fair wage,” Smith says. “It’s not just about the pay, it’s about better conditions. Sick pay is a joke. We get two weeks sick pay, so if you get a serious illness, you get no money. Some of us are having to take on a second job or a third job to pay the bills.
“I’ve had a couple of bouts of illness. I’ve worked as a security guard for 37 years. Before, they were a good company to work for, but it’s now a joke. Last year, I found out I had an illness and I didn’t put the heater on in my flat and I put a hot water bottle round me and I got bruising all over my body.”
The unions are calling for a pay rise which is enough for security guards to cope in the aftermath of the cost of living crisis. Image: Big Issue
It was the 29th day of DWP security guard strikes on Wednesday. Workers are striking all week, until 21 July. The next round of strikes will be held between 29 July and 4 August.
Eamon O’Hearn, GMB national officer, says: “It’s clearly time for a change. It’s gone on long enough. Nobody should be tolerating the closure of Jobcentres this many days. It impacts on some of the most marginalised people in our community.
“We need to reflect on how we got here, and reflect on the DWP’s role as the client and what they can do to ensure that a company that can easily afford to resolve the dispute does so. It brings into wider question about what we believe is decent working conditions.
“We can see from the diverse nature of people here that this is a microcosm of the UK. This is a real reflection of what our communities look like. It’s absolutely crucial that we recognise where things have gone wrong and we rectify them.”
There was a strong turnout at the rally, with security guards from across the country. Image: Big Issue
The Big Issue understands that benefits, state pension and other payments will not be impacted by the strikes.
Customers will be contacted if appointments need to be rescheduled because of Jobcentre closures and, if appointments are urgent, people will be signposted to alternative locations.
A G4S spokesperson has said: “Our dedicated security colleagues do a great job and support an essential public service, sometimes in difficult circumstances. The majority of our staff have not been on strike.
“We urge the union to present our offer to our employees, which is above minimum wage and inflation. We want to give our staff a pay rise and are keen to bring this dispute to an amicable conclusion.”
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