Up to 90,000 civil servants working in job centres, benefit offices and the Child Support Agency have started a 48-hour strike today over plans to axe 30,000 jobs.

The strike by staff at the Department for Work and Pensions follows the collapse of talks between union leaders and the government.

The current walkout involves members of the Public and Commercial Services Union, which is calling for a halt to job cuts after the slashing of 15,000 jobs in the last two years.

Today’s strike follows a walkout on Friday by staff at the Learning and Skills Council over plans to cut some 1,100 jobs across its 48 offices in England, while in March, more than one million council workers staged a one-day strike against plans to scrap rules letting council staff retire at 60 on a full pension.