PROTESTERS gathered in force in driving rain on Saturday in a bid to prevent the closure of a specialised disability benefits service employing nearly 50 people in Barrow.

A dedicated service providing benefit support to those suffering from industrial-related illnesses based in Phoenix House is threatened with closure next year but campaigners are insisting that the service 'must remain in Barrow'.

PCS Union members and campaigning allies from the Northern TUC and Asbestos Victims Support Group, along with MP Simon Fell, gathered by the Spirit of Barrow monument from 1.30pm, to gather support to keep this specialised DWP department.

Martin Cavanagh, PCS DWP group president, addressed the rally on Saturday, saying afterwards that campaigners 'will keep fighting'.

"It was a decent turnout, and people certainly got the message - a lot of leaflets were handed out throughout the day, so it was definitely worth doing," he said.

READ MORE: MP presents Phoenix House petition to Parliament as protest nears

"It looked as if we were going to get quite a crowd with the megaphone but then the heavens just opened.

"The three key themes that came out for the day were firstly, from our perspective, just under 50 staff and members are impacted.

"Secondly, for the service - it will transfer to Bradford and Barnsley.

"The experience loss and therefore the impact that will have on the support for what is a highly specialised benefit, will be huge - that came across loud and clear.

"The service will be there but the standard of that service will plummet.

"It's clear that anyone who claims this benefit has a death sentence hanging over them so it's not just about the benefits, its the support, the empathy, that's what would be lost." 

"Thirdly, and this want lost on the locals yesterday, is that it would be yet more jobs lost from Barrow and the local economy.

"We'll keep fighting - Simon Fell has a meeting with the Disabilities Minister this week, but it's Chloe Smith, the Work and Pensions Minister, that we need to get to sit up and listen."

"We're currently balloting our 150,000 members for potential strike action, for pay and jobs, so Barrow members are part of that. 

"Obviously we need to get past the legal threshold but there are a number of irons in the fire."