There is a lot of confusion over whether volunteering affects an individual’s benefits. This is not helped by the fact that some benefits advisers are poorly informed about volunteering and sometimes give people the wrong advice. In actual fact the rules are quite simple, and it’s well worth knowing them so that you can advise volunteers if they have any queries.

Definition of volunteering

The most recent leaflet published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about volunteering provides the following definition:

“When it comes to claiming benefits, the Department for Work and Pensions defines a volunteer as a person who is:

• not given any money, apart from their expenses
• not legally obliged to volunteer
• doing something for a not-for-profit organisation
• doing something for someone who is not a family member.”

Are you allowed to volunteer if you are claiming state benefits?

The short answer is yes. People are allowed to volunteer while claiming state benefits, including means-tested benefits such as Job Seekers’ Allowance, Incapacity Benefit and Income Support. But, there are some guidelines and rules which claimants should be aware of. Some of these rules are general and others relate specifically to a certain type of benefit.

The general rules

Informing benefits advisors

It is compulsory for claimants to notify benefits advisers that they are volunteering. They will have to complete a form describing what they do. Organisations have no duty to inform the Jobcentre Plus or benefits office about who is volunteering for them, so it is the responsibility of the volunteer to do this. Some people may worry about declaring their volunteering. It is sometimes reported that advisors are not well informed about volunteering and can discourage or misinform claimants about rules on volunteering.

Volunteer expenses

Although volunteers give their time freely, it’s important not to forget the costs incurred through volunteering. For example, the cost of travelling and a meal eaten out could be significant to someone on a low income or who receives state benefits.

It makes sense to use a simple claim form which can be submitted with receipts.

Lastly, note that sometimes benefits claimants need to inform their Jobcentre Plus or benefits advisor about their volunteer expenses. People receiving Housing Benefit should also inform their local authority about their volunteer expenses.

The rules for different types of benefits

Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA)

People receiving JSA can do as much volunteering as they want, as long as they remain available for and are actively seeking work. This means that claimants have to show that they are looking for work and applying for jobs where appropriate. If an individual is volunteering, then they are entitled to 48 hours’ notice if they are asked to attend an interview, and a week’s notice before starting work. (These are concessions to the 24 hours’ notice normally allowed.)

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 (IB)

There is a lot of confusion over Incapacity Benefit. This is partly based on misinformation about old rules and partly due to confusion about current rules.

Firstly, it is important to note that the “16 hour rule” which set a maximum time limit on volunteering by anyone claiming this benefit no longer exists. An amendment passed in The Social Security (Welfare to Work) Regulations 1998 removed this rule. Now there isn’t a set limit on the amount or type of volunteering that someone can do while claiming Incapacity Benefit.

Secondly, people often worry that starting to volunteer will automatically trigger an investigation into their need to claim Incapacity Benefit. This shouldn’t happen and the DWP’s leaflet confirms that claimants are allowed to volunteer “because volunteering has been recognised as a good way to build confidence and gain work-related skills”.

Thirdly, there is occasionally some confusion about volunteering and ‘permitted work’ (similar to the old ‘therapeutic earnings’). The permitted work rule applies only to paid work and should not affect volunteers. Claimants should be entitled to volunteer without it being recognised as permitted work.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

DLA is an allowance paid in acknowledgement of the fact that life for someone with a disability may be more expensive – for instance, someone with mobility problems may be reliant on taxis. Volunteering will not affect whether an individual receives this benefit or not.

Housing Benefit/Local Authority Housing Allowance

This is usually paid to people receiving JSA, Income Support, Pension Credit or who have a low income. It should not be affected by volunteering but claimants should inform their local authority about any volunteer expenses they receive.

Employment Support Allowance (ESA)

This is a new benefit which will be introduced from 27 October 2008. The ESA will replace both Incapacity Benefit and Income Support paid because of disability or incapacity.

The new regulations on Employment Support Allowance clearly state that claimants will be allowed to volunteer. The regulations also recognise that reasonable expenses can be reimbursed to claimants who volunteer.

Good Practice and volunteers receiving state benefits

Covering expenses ‘in advance’

It can be very difficult for people on low incomes to pay upfront for volunteer expenses such as travel tickets. Organisations should consider reimbursing expenses in advance. The Social Security Amendment (Volunteers) Regulations 2001 clarified rules on Income Support, JSA, and Incapacity Benefit to make it clear that volunteers can receive advance payment for expenses to be incurred in the future.

Receipts and expense claim records should be kept and the volunteer should repay any unspent money to the organisation.

Problems at the Jobcentre Plus office

Occasionally a volunteer may have problems convincing their benefits adviser that they are volunteering and not working in a role which they should be paid for. Copies of an organisation’s publicity leaflets and a volunteer role description should help a volunteer to explain what they are actually doing.

If the volunteer has already supplied these, a volunteer co-ordinator could provide support by sending a letter to the Jobcentre Plus or Benefits office.

Expenses and Equal Opportunities

Most people in receipt of benefits are on very low incomes and could not afford to volunteer if their expenses were not paid. When organisations decide how they will pay expenses, they should ensure that they are not creating unnecessary barriers. Many organisations prefer to reimburse expenses weekly or monthly rather than daily and some always reimburse by cheque. This can create problems for someone on a low income who cannot afford to wait for money to be reimbursed. If possible, organisations should always try to reimburse expenses on the same day in cash, and should not assume that a small amount of money for them is a small amount of money for everyone else. In particular, asylum seekers in receipt of vouchers have very little access to cash, so may find it difficult to pay for travel or go out and buy a sandwich. Organisations should ask which methods of reimbursement suit individual volunteers, and in some cases it may be more efficient to develop different systems for different people.

Last reviewed: June 2008
Excerpt from the Volunteering England Information Service
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