A new temporary jobcentre has opened up in Ipswich as part of government moves to cope with increased demand from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The jobcentre officially opened its doors at St Vincent House, in Cutler Street, on Wednesday, June 30.

It is part of measures by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to increase capacity for face-to-face support in a Covid-secure environment.

Among the jobcentre's team of 31 are some who joined as part of a recruitment drive to hire 13,500 work coaches.

MP Mims Davies, minister for employment, said: “We know this has been a challenging time for many people and that’s why we’re boosting our DWP jobcentre support in every corner of the UK, including here in Ipswich.

“Every customer benefits from a dedicated work coach. They know the local jobs market and work with local businesses to match jobseekers to the latest nearby opportunities.

“It’s brilliant to see our Plan for Jobs in action, from Kickstart to Sector Based Work Academy Programmes, our Work Coaches are there to help people to get thriving and be ready to progress.”

Ipswich, St Vincent House Jobcentre Plus is one of the new temporary sites announced by the DWP earlier this year, building on the existing 639 jobcentres across the UK.

The DWP will review the need for these temporary jobcentres as the economy recovers and social distancing rules are eased.

Louise Finch, one of the new recruits at St Vincent House, said: “After joining DWP in February, I feel really excited to be a part of welcoming customers to our second site at St Vincent House.

"The most rewarding aspect for me so far has been having the opportunity to support members of our community securing employment and being a small cog in their success story.”

Alison Brown is the customer service leader overseeing the new site.

She said: “The opening of Ipswich St Vincent House Jobcentre provides us with the ability to expand and enhance our services by welcoming our customers face to face in a modern and Covid-safe environment so they can receive the help of their work coaches to help them back into employment.”