A STRONG letter to Theresa May and Jamie Reed will be sent from Cleator Moor councillors who want improved IT services in the town.

Cleator Moor Town Council has been looking to increase the number of computers and provide supervised sessions for those needing IT access.

Several councillors expressed concern at a recent public meeting that unemployed people, who are required to use online services as part of their benefit requirements, are struggling to access computers and broadband.

People claiming Jobseeker's Allowance have to use an online diary to prove that they have been looking for work for up 35 hours a week, or they face having their benefits cut .

Frank Morgan, a county councillor for Cleator Moor, said: "The Department for Work and Pensions is asking job seekers to put in 35 hours a week looking for jobs on the internet - but not paying for any of the resources to allow them do it.

"So, what we have in Cleator Moor is the charity sector taking up the slack with people going to use the computers in the Phoenix Enterprise Centre (PEC).”

Coun David Riley said: “People are walking from Frizington to Cleator Moor every day to put in their eight hours in.

"A lot of people don’t have laptops, tablets or Wi-Fi and this is the third most deprived place for IT in the county. The DWP should be putting money in to help job seekers with what they are being asked to do.”

Council chairwoman, Joan Hully, said: “They are asking people on benefits to do this but they are not giving them the resources to do it, so we should write a letter to the Prime Minister.”

PEC has a drop in computer hub on the ground floor of Phoenix House on Jacktrees Road, open from 9am-4.30pm Tuesday to Thursday, which anybody can use for free. For more information, call 813555.