The opening times of the Social Security office on Queens Promenade in Ramsey are to change from the beginning of October this year, in response to trends in customer usage.
Current opening hours are Monday and Wednesday from 9.15am to 4.30pm and Friday from 9.15am to 4pm, with a lunch break from 1 till 1.45 pm each day. With effect from 2 October the office will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 9.15am to 4.30pm on both days, with the same lunch-break.
Speaking on the issue, Ralph Peake MHK, Member of the Treasury with special responsibility for Social Security said:
‘An increasing proportion of our customers now prefer to contact us by e-mail or phone. This coupled with the fact that unemployment is at a 13-year low has seen the demand for services at our Ramsey office reduce significantly, to the extent it is no longer necessary for the office to be open 3 days a week.’
Mr Peake went on to say:
‘By moving the opening days to Tuesdays and Thursdays our service will also be less susceptible to disruption by public holidays, which tend to fall on Mondays and Fridays. This continues our desire to improve the service to our customers with a more efficient and effective use of officer time.’
