What is Volunteering?
This is when you give your time and energy - often to a charity, other voluntary organisation or in helping your community - to benefit other people, without being paid for it.

What is NOT Voluntering
It is not volunteering if you do something for a family member, are given money (apart from your expenses), or are under contract to do it.
Choosing not to be paid is not the same as volunteering. If you are doing something that someone would normally be paid for, such as working in a business or for a family member, the Department for Work and Pensions will class it as unpaid work and not as volunteering. This classification could affect your Benefits.

You must always talk to Jobcentre Plus before you start any volunteering if you are receiving benefits.

Expenses and Subsistance Allowances
It is quite usual for volunteers to be reimbursed or be paid a contribution towards the expenses they incur through volunteering. These could be the costs incurred in travelling to carry out your volunteering, the cost of meals while you are volunteering, accommodation expenses if you need to be away from home overnight, and the cost of any special clothing or equipment which is not provided for you but which is necessary to carry out your volunteering.

Volunteers working full time may be given a subsistance allowance, covering food, travel and basic living costs.

The Effects of Volunteering on your Benefits
If you are receiving any form of benefit, it is essential for you to talk to JobCentre Plus before you start any volunteering. Except for full-time volunteers in receipt of subsistance allowance, in most cases your benefits will not be affected. But there are, for example, requirements regarding availability for interview and for work for those who are claiming Jobseeker's Allowance.

General:
If you live with your parents or partner, their benefits could be affected if you get money or anything else on top of expenses.

Carer's Allowance:
You can still get this allowance if you do volunteering in the UK and care for a disabled person for at least 35 hours/week and they get the right disability benefit. Your Carer's Allowance could be affected if your volunteering takes you abroad for over 4 weeks.

Child Tax Credit:
Being a volunteer will not change how much Child Tax Credit you get.

Council Tax Benefit:
You can still get Council Tax Benefit if you follow the basic rules for volunteering. You must tell your local council about any volunteering you do, and any expenses you get.

Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance:
Volunteering in the UK or volunteering abroad for less than 6 months will not affect your Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance. If you want to volunteer abroad, or if your care needs or walking difficulties change you should tell the Disability and Carers Service by telephoning 0845 712 3456.

Housing Benefit:
You can continue to get Housing Benefit if you follow the Basic rules for volunteering. You must tell your local council about any volunteering you do, and any expenses you get.

Employment and Support Allowance/Incapacity Benefit or Income Support:
You can be a volunteer and still get Employment and Support Allowance, Incapacity Benefit or Income Support if you follow the basic rules for volunteering, can still go to a work focused interview when asked to, and you have let JobCentre Plus know, before you start volunteering, and tell them about any expenses you get.

Jobseeker's Allowance:
You can still be a volunteer and still get Jobseeker's Allowance as long as you follow the basic rules, are still actively looking for a full time paid job, and are available for work or treated as being able for work. You must ,also, be able to go to an interview at 48 hours notice and be able to start a job at a week's notice. You must let JobCentre Plus know, before you start volunteering, and tell them about any expenses you get.

National Insurance Credits:
You won't get National Insurance credits just because you are a volunteer, but you should continue to get them if you are getting a benefit like Employment and Support Allowance or Carer's Allowance. If you are listed as actively looking for, and being free to, work, or if you can't work because of an illness or disability, you may get National Insurance credits whilst you are working as a volunteer.

Pension Credit:
If you go abroad as a volunteer for more than 13 weeks at a time, your Pension Credit could be stopped. But payment of Pension Credit should not be affected through being a volunteer in the UK.

Working Tax Credit:
If you or your partner are responsible for a child or young person, or a disability makes it harder for you to get a job, you must be workin at least 16 hours a week before you can be considered for Working Tax Credit; in other circumstances, you must be 25 or over and working at least 30 hours a week. The hours you volunteer do not count towards your weekly working hours.

Opportunities for Volunteering
To find out more about being a volunteer, you can contact:

The Volunteer Centre
Units 5 - 6
Trafford Court
Doncaster
DN1 1PN
Tel: 01302 343 300
Fax: 01302 321 121
Website: www.doncastercvs.org.uk
The Volunteer Centre offers a wide range of support to local people who are interested in volunteering.

Volunteering England
Regents Wharf
8 All Saints Street
London
N1 9RL
Tel: 020 7520 8900
Fax: 020 7520 8910
Website: www.volunteering.org.uk
Volunteering England is an independent voluntary agency that works to support and increase the quality, quantity and accessibility of volunteering in England.

Other Contacts:

Benefits Enquiry Line
Tel: 0800 88 22 00
Textphone: 0800 25 33 55

Tax Credits Helpline
Tel: 0345 300 3900
Textphone: 0345 300 3909

Useful Websites:
www.do-it.org.uk
This website lists local charities and bodies which are looking for volunteer workers and has information on volunteering overseas and on Employee Volunteering, where some employers actively encourage their workforce to volunteer in their local comunity.
www.direct.gov.uk
This website provides information from UK government departments on topics including volunteering.

For more detailed information you can download the Volunteering booklet from DWP.

DIAL Disclaimer
Whilst all the information given in this document was correct at the time of going to press, DIAL Doncaster cannot be held responsible for any subsequent changes.