PRESS RELEASE - For immediate release
27 June 2006
The government is creating barriers to volunteering for people on welfare benefits, according to Volunteering England, the development agency for volunteers.
Guidance in a recently published booklet from the Department of Work and Pensions, A guide to Volunteering on Benefits, states that lunch expenses are not a legitimate expense to be reimbursed to benefit claimants.
This guidance contradicts a long held understanding of permissible expenses, right up to an NHS publication in which the chapter on reimbursement clearly states that meal costs incurred during the course of voluntary activity are a legitimate expense. Volunteering England believes this will create barriers to volunteering as those on welfare benefits will not be able to afford to volunteer.
Furthermore, the guidance also contravenes the government undertaking in the Compact: Volunteering a code of good practice, to “consult the sector so that proposed legislation of regulation, guidance and policies take account of the ways they may affect volunteers and volunteering activities.”
Christopher Spence CBE, Chief Executive of Volunteering England, said: “Volunteering England would be unable to support a position which runs counter to accepted good practice in volunteer management, as well as to the government’s expressed aim of opening up access to volunteering to disadvantaged groups. We have already received a large volume of complaints from members at local, regional and national level and I have written to John Hutton MP, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to seek further clarification and resolution on this matter.”
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Notes to Editors
- For further guidance and details please read our information sheet
- For more information and to arrange interviews, call Cat Dean on 020 7520 8932 or email cat.dean@volunteeringengland.org. For out of hours press enquiries, contact 07952 128057.
- For issues about charity shops that have been affected by this guidance, call David Moir, head of policy and public affairs at the Association of Charity Shops or email david@charityshops.org.uk.
Volunteering England’s aims are to increase the quality, quantity, contribution and accessibility of volunteering throughout England; secure and support an England-wide network of quality volunteer development agencies, promoting and enabling volunteering and community involvement; undertake research, policy and development activity; and provide grants, support and advice to sustain and develop volunteering. It understands the term volunteering to include formal activity undertaken through public, private and voluntary organisations as well as informal community participation.
