Ashton Benefits

Strangely enough, Ashton benefits from the high prices of life in London!

For a while now, the London Borough of Islington has had its housing benefits administration office at Portland Basin in Ashton. (In the photo, the car park was empty as it was Easter Sunday, when it had snowed!)

Now the housing officials are to be joined by Islington's parking administrators. This may seem to be a bizarre course of action but it would seem to make financial sense for Islington. They apparently have difficulty recruiting office staff in London. It seems existing staff will be invited to make the move north. (It doesn't always snow this far north, folks!) Any vacancies remaining will be easier to fill in Ashton because the cost of living and housing costs are lower.

GMB trade union officials claim Islington Council really wants to move the jobs in order to sell off their present prime office space.

Read more about it in this Islington Tribune report.

But Londoners won't have to come to Ashton to claim their housing benefits or pay their parking fines - only the administrative work will be done here!