Expenses

Whilst unpaid, volunteering shouldn’t leave volunteers out of pocket, otherwise it can be difficult to involve a diverse range of people. That’s why it’s good practice to reimburse a volunteer for the expenses they incur.

Whilst this should be a straightforward matter, there are a number of legal and good practice issues to be aware of, including ensuring you don’t inadvertently grant employment rights to volunteers.

• Member Only Information Sheet: Volunteer expenses (52.1Kb)
• Article: Expenses and rewards
• Member Only Information Sheet: Avoiding creating employment contracts (52.7Kb)
• Template: Volunteer expenses form
• Example: University of East Anglia Volunteers volunteer expenses policy (36.1Kb)

Expenses for volunteer drivers

Additional advice is available from the Good Practice Bank for volunteers being reimbursed expenses to cover the cost of using their car whilst volunteering.

Expenses and state benefits

The Good Practice Bank has a dedicated theme providing advice about volunteers in receipt of state benefits.

Further information

• HM Revenue and Customs guide for volunteer drivers
• HM Revenue and Customs mileage rates

Volunteering England and the organisations that contribute example documents to the Good Practice Bank accept no responsibility for how they are used. They are presented as examples of good practice, but it is every volunteer-involving organisation's responsibility to ensure that their volunteers are safe, and that policies and procedures meet legal requirements.