By Aaron Barbour
At Community Links we’ve always worked closely with volunteers since we started over 30 years ago.
This is still very much the case today. Volunteers are vital, without them we would not be able to continue our work.
This picture shows a group of volunteers from the Accenture resources team at who Worked on a garden project alongside the young people at our New Canteen youth centre.
We provide volunteers with the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the community while gaining practical experience, skills and insights for themselves, which is why hundreds of volunteers get involved in all areas of our work including Children and Youth, LinksUK, and our social enterprises, including Auction My Stuff. In the last financial year alone (2206/07) 1,108 volunteers contributed 18,709 hours of their time to join us in championing social change. If you want to get involved there are many opportunities to volunteer with Community Links.
However, there is a problem for those people on benefits. Some face difficulties when volunteering. The main reason is that everyone (Jobcentre staff, benefit claimants and voluntary organisations) is unclear and confused about the exact nature of what the rules and regulations are in relation to volunteering whilst in receipt of benefits. Department for Work and Pensions regulations clearly state that if you are in receipt of benefits (Incapacity Benefit, Job Seekers Allowance, Income Support and others) you can undertake as much voluntary work, for as long as you like, and be paid reasonable expenses. We have written a short evidence paper which aims to clarify the regulations, and address how existing policy on benefit claimants who volunteer can be better implemented at an operational level. It builds on earlier research on volunteering by Community Links’ Social Enterprise Zone, and more recently by the Council on Social Action, as well as recent work by the Commission on the Future of Volunteering and The Morgan Inquiry.
Please download our new report ‘Volunteering Whilst on Benefits’.
It would be great to hear from you with your stories of volunteering whilst on benefits – please add a comment.
