BENEFIT claimants are being offered full-time but unpaid work – at a jobcentre.

An unemployed man, who did not wish to be named, said it felt “galling” to be invited to work without pay at Kentish Town Jobcentre.

The 9am-to-5pm “work experience” placement was one of several non-paid positions being “heavily suggested” by staff to those out of work, according to the jobseeker.

Welfare officers can “sanction” housing and unemployment benefits and many people feel they could lose money if they do not take on voluntary positions. 

The unemployed man said: “The jobs listed are a mixture of paid and voluntary positions, but the jobcentre was wholly unpaid. 

“I’ve been looking for paid work for a while now, but this is the first I’ve seen of actual unpaid labour within the jobcentre itself. They have been downsizing significantly and I assume this is how they’re retaining staff on the cheap.”

A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions said work experience at the jobcentre could be good for a jobseeker’s CV, adding: “People who are looking for work experience can get a huge amount out of a stint of work experience at the jobcentre, where they will learn new skills, like customer service and communication.”