Volunteering While Claiming Benefits

Inform the DWP or Work Coach

Notify your Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) representative or work coach about your intention to volunteer. Transparency ensures there are no misunderstandings about your activities and benefits.

Clarify Hours and Roles

While volunteering doesn’t usually affect benefits, keep clear records of the hours spent volunteering and the nature of your role. This is particularly important if you are job-seeking, as there may be conditions requiring you to prioritize job-search activities.

Highlight the Benefits of Volunteering

Explain to your work coach how volunteering helps you gain new skills, boost confidence, and improve employability—demonstrating that it’s a proactive step toward personal growth or returning to the workforce if that’s your goal.

Understand Your Benefits

If you’re on PIP or disability benefits, volunteering should not affect your entitlements unless it contradicts the basis of your claim (e.g., if your PIP award is based on mobility difficulties, make sure the volunteering activity doesn’t suggest otherwise).

Keep Records

Record any expenses related to volunteering (e.g., travel), as these may be reimbursed by the organization you’re volunteering with and should not be counted as income for benefits purposes.

Engage in Suitable Roles

Choose volunteering opportunities that suit your abilities and won’t exacerbate health conditions. The focus should always be on activities that bring you joy, fulfilment, and personal development.

Check for Additional Support

Some organisations or volunteering programs offer additional support tailored to individuals with specific needs—don’t hesitate to inquire about  further assistance.

By following these steps, you can start enjoying volunteering without worrying about your benefits or financial stability

The Right to Choose

Volunteers have the right to select roles that align with their skills, interests, and availability. Participation is entirely voluntary and free from any undue pressure.

The Right to Reimbursement

Volunteers are entitled to claim reasonable expenses, such as travel costs, meals during volunteering hours, or other agreed-upon expenses, ensuring no financial burden.

The Right to Information

Clear information about their role, responsibilities, and the organisation’s mission should be provided. Volunteers are entitled to proper communication and access to relevant policies or guidelines.

The Right to Support

Volunteers deserve the training, supervision, and support necessary to carry out their role effectively and confidently.

The Right to a Safe Environment

Organizations must provide a safe, healthy, and harassment-free environment for volunteers to work in.

The Right to Recognition

Volunteers have the right to be valued and appreciated for their contributions, with recognition that is meaningful to them.

The Right to Raise Concerns

Volunteers should have a clear process to voice any concerns, be it about their role, treatment, or the organization, and these concerns should be handled with respect and care.

The Right to Equality and Respect

Volunteers have the right to be treated fairly and equally, regardless of their background or personal characteristics. Their dignity and privacy should always be respected.

The Right to Say No

Volunteers should not feel obligated to take on tasks outside their agreed role or to continue volunteering if they wish to stop.

The Right to Personal Growth

Opportunities for skill development and learning should be made available, enabling volunteers to grow both personally and professionally.

The PVG (Protection of Vulnerable Groups) Scheme, is a registration system for anyone who carries out work (paid or unpaid) with vulnerable groups in Scotland. It is designed to exclude people who are known to be unsuitable from working with vulnerable groups and detects those who become unsuitable while in the workplace.

People who are protected by the PVG Scheme are:

  • individuals under the age of 18 (children)

  • individuals over the age of 16 who are provided with care, health, community care or welfare services (protected adults)

Key points:

  • If your community group or organisation has volunteers or paid staff which you consider to be undertaking regulated work, your committee or board has a legal responsibility to make sure that those people are suitable to work with children or vulnerable adults.

  • It is an offence for an individual who is barred to undertake regulated work. It is also an offence for an employer to offer a barred individual regulated work unless they can show that they did not know and could not reasonably be expected to know that the individual was barred.

  • If your organisation has paid staff or volunteers who are carrying out regulated work, you need access to scheme records. You must either:

  • register with Disclosure Scotland, which will enable them to countersign disclosure applications or requests

  • or enrol with a registered body that can provide countersignatory services for them Volunteer Scotland Disclosure Services can help with this

Links for more information

Scottish Government - Disclosure Scotland

Types of Disclosure and Fees

https://www.mygov.scot/disclosure-types/

Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, CVO

Overview of the PVG Scheme

https://scvo.org.uk/support/running-your-organisation/legislation/pvg-scheme