GLASGOW MPs are meeting with the Employment Minister today to oppose the Jobcentre closures that will shut half the city offices.

Pressure is mounting on the Department of Work and Pensions to scrap the plans with the Catholic Church the latest to urge a rethink.

The city’s seven MPs are having talks with the minister, Damian Hinds at Westminster to put their concerns to him directly.

Glasgow South SNP MP, Stewart McDonald, whose constituency includes two of the centres facing the axe, Castlemilk and Langside, has also secured a debate in the matter in the House of Commons.

Ms McDonald said: “Glasgow’s MPs are determined to impress upon the Minister how ill-thought out these proposals are.

“The travel time modelling has already been exposed as inadequate through the use of out of date public transport data on Google Maps.

“And in my constituency, the landlord of the Castlemilk office has made clear that no approach has been to them by DWP officials and that they are ready to negotiate a favourable rent to retain these vital services in a community that can ill afford to lose them.”

Glasgow’s senior Catholic Church leader, Archbishop Philip Tartaglia, has also expressed concern about the plans, which will see some claimants having to walk three miles or pay extra for bus fare to sign on.

He fears it will further impact on the poorest in the city and could lead to sanctions pushing people deeper into poverty.

The Jobcentres to shut are Anniesland, Bridgeton, Castlemilk, Easterhouse, Langside, Maryhill and Parkhead as well as Cambuslang.

The Archbishop said: “I am very concerned by the Department of Work and Pensions’ proposals to close half of Glasgow’s Job Centres.

“Sadly, Glasgow has one of the highest rates of unemployment in Scotland, and suffers high levels of deprivation as a result. Closing offices in some of the most deprived areas of the city, risks reducing access to support for those who need it most.”

He has urged a re-think putting claimants’ needs at the heart of the decision

He added: “Tens of thousands of people will potentially have to travel further at additional cost to attend their appointments, while risking severe sanctions if they are even a few minutes late.

“I hope this proposal will be reconsidered in a way which respects the dignity of claimants and meets their needs.”

At Holyrood, MSPs from Glasgow and beyond have warned of the consequences of closing so many Jobcentres.

Bob Doris, SNP MSP for Maryhill and Springburn, which will lose one of its Jobcentres lodged a motion which has been backed by 29 SNP, Labour and Green MSPs.

Mr Doris’s motion states: “The closure of these jobcentres would have a devastating impact on jobseekers who rely on the service, and would be incompatible with the ambition of supporting people into work.”