People often ask the question about how their benefits may be affected due to volunteering. Therefore below are some basic guidelines.

Definition of voluntary work

• All benefits rulings agree that voluntary work is work for a not-for-profit organisation, or work for someone who is not a member of your family, where only reasonable expenses are paid.

Job Seeker’s Allowance

• People on Job Seeker’s Allowance can do as much voluntary work as they want as long as they continue to actively seek work.  This will mean that they will have to show that they are looking for work and applying for jobs where appropriate.  Therefore organisations will need to give volunteers flexibility, as they will need to visit the Job Centre to sign on and also be available for interviews.
  Volunteers are allowed a week’s notice before being required to rearrange or give up their voluntary activity in order to take up paid employment. They must still be available for an interview at 48 hours notice.  This change in rules is to promote volunteering among Job Seeker’s Allowance claimants.

Income Support

• Volunteering should not affect someone’s Income Support as long as they are not receiving any money other than reimbursement of expenses.

Incapacity Benefit

• There is a lot of confusion over Incapacity Benefit because there used to be a rule that individuals in receipt of the benefit could only volunteer for 16 hours a week.  This rule no longer applies, although many people are still being told that it does.  If volunteers are in receipt of Incapacity Benefit then they can volunteer for as long as they want. 

Disability Living Allowance

• Volunteering will not affect whether an individual receives this benefit or not.

Expenses & Benefits

• Out-of-pocket expenses do not constitute a payment, so volunteers can receive reimbursement of any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses (any expenses that they have occurred because they are volunteering) without their benefits being affected.  It is good practice for volunteers to collect receipts and keep records of what expenses have been paid, so that if there is any kind of query it can clearly be shown that you are reimbursing money rather than making a payment.

Informing Benefits Advisers

• Individuals in receipt of benefits are asked to inform their advisers if they take up voluntary work.  It is good practice to let them know but in fact it is entirely up to the volunteer whether they tell their adviser or not.