Holyhead PIP assessment centre closes ‘with no consultation'
Gwelfor Community Centre was, according to the MP for Ynys Môn, Llinos Medi, 'closed with no public consultation or prior notice'.
Capita, the outsourcing firm contracted by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), is moving all Ynys Môn assessments to Bangor.
Ms Medi said she was only informed of the news on the day of closure, and has since written to Andrew Western MP, minister for transformation.
She noted that Gwelfor Community Centre had a bus stop directly outside, but that the new location, at Parc Menai in Bangor, requires multiple public transport connections with no direct service.
In addition, she said the nearest bus stop is more than 200 metres from the entrance, posing a significant challenge for people with limited mobility.
Ms Medi added that travelling from Holyhead to the Menai Centre in Bangor often requires changes and long waits, and is nearly impossible for residents in rural villages due to sparse timetables.
Isle of Anglesey County Council reported in July 2024 that the island has 'one of the worst accesses to public transport services in North Wales'.
More than 5,000 residents in Ynys Môn claim PIP, with nearly 40 per cent receiving the highest level of support.
Ms Medi warned that relocating assessments so far away could result in missed appointments and increased digital exclusion as people feel forced to accept less suitable alternatives like phone or video assessments.
She said: 'Closing Holyhead's PIP assessment centre without warning is a reckless decision that will make life harder for some of the most vulnerable people in our community.
'More than 5,000 people in Ynys Môn rely on PIP, and nearly 40 per cent receive the highest level of support, many of whom have significant mobility challenges.
'Forcing them to travel over 25 miles to Bangor, or pushing them into unsuitable phone or video assessments, will inevitably lead to missed appointments, digital exclusion, and people losing access to the vital support they're entitled to.
'Closing the centre just as deep cuts to disability benefits are set to be implemented risks triggering a crisis for disabled people living on Anglesey.
'I have written to the UK Government, urging them to urgently review Capita's decision and use ministerial powers to reverse the closure.'
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