Around 30 new jobs are being created at the Stornoway base of the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP).
The office in the town’s Castle Street deals with benefit claimants’ from across the UK who are making repayments of social fund loans.
An increasing workload has resulted in a recruitment drive for extra customer service and administration staff to handle inquiries by phone and e-mail.
The equivalent of 20 full time posts are required while a mix of part-time and full-time recruits will likely take the number of jobs to about 30, say bosses.
Stornoway office manager, Steve Hankinson, said around 60 people are employed at the site at present.
In addition, the office has been awarded a Scottish Excellence Award from the DWP for its work in operational and organisational performance.
It now goes forward to the DWP National UK Awards.
Steve Hankinson said the achievement was down to staff’s “skill and determination.”
