About Volunteering - Getting started - FAQ - Volunteering and Benefits

State Benefits and Volunteering

The information is from “A Guide to Volunteering While on Benefit” and is correct at the time of printing. Please check with the Department of Work and Pensions for latest Information.

The Basic Rules

• You can volunteer for as many hours as you want, as long as you still meet the conditions to get your benefit or tax credit. The old rule that you could only volunteer for 16 hours a week no longer applies.
• You can be refunded for your expenses by the organisation you are volunteering for without it affecting your benefit or credit. For tax credit purposes, any expenses you get for doing voluntary work will usually be disregarded when it comes to working out your income.
• The Department for Work and Pensions defines a volunteer as a person who is:
  
  
• Not given any money, apart from their expenses
• Not legally obliges to volunteer
• Doing something for a not-for-profit organisation
• Doing something for someone who is not a family member

If you get money for volunteering, apart from your expenses, it will be treated as an income. It’s not volunteering if you are:

• Helping a member of your own family
• Getting more than just your expenses
• Under contract to do so

If you are getting an income-related benefit, like Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Council Tax Benefit, then you must declare any payment, payments in kind, or expenses you receive for doing voluntary work. You will also need to keep all your receipts, to back up your claim.

A-Z of Benefits

Carer’s Allowance

Volunteering within the UK shouldn’t affect your Carer’s Allowance, as long as you are still caring for a disabled person,k who is getting a qualifying benefit, for at least 35 hours a week.

Child Tax Credit

Volunteering shouldn’t affect the amount of Child Tax Credit you get.

Council Tax Benefit

Volunteering shouldn’t affect your Council Tax Benefit, as long as you follow the basic rules above. You must let your local authority know when you start volunteering, and about any expenses you may be getting.

Disability Living Allowance

Volunteering shouldn’t affect your Disability Living Allowance if you live in the UK. You have to tell the Disability and Carers Service if you want to volunteer abroad for more than six months.

Housing Benefit

Volunteering shouldn’t affect your Housing Benefit, as long as you follow the basic rules above. You must let your local authority know when you start volunteering and tell them about any expenses you may be getting.

Incapacity Benefit

Volunteering shouldn’t affect your Incapacity Benefit as long as you follow the basic rules above and are available to attend a Work Focused Interview, when required to by Jobcentre Plus. You must let Jobcentre Plus know when you start volunteering and also tell them about any expenses you may be getting. Jobcentre Plus will ask you to fill in a form, giving some basic details about your volunteering opportunity.

Income Support

Volunteering shouldn’t affect your Income Support as long as follow the basic rules above and are available to attend a Work Focused Interview, when required to by Jobcentre Plus. You must let Jobcentre Plus know when you start volunteering and also tell them about any expenses you may be getting. Jobcentre Plus will ask you to fill in a form, giving some basic details about your volunteering opportunity.

Jobseekers Allowance

Volunteering shouldn’t affect your Jobseeker’s Allowance, as long as you:

• Are still available for work eg
• Willing and able to attend a job interview at 48 hours notice and
• Willing and able to take up a job at one week’s notice
• Are still actively seeking a full-time job
• Follow the basic rules above

You must let Jobcentre Plus know when you start volunteering and also tell them about any expenses you may be getting. Jobcentre Plus will ask you to fill in a form, giving some basic details about your volunteering opportunity.