Citizens Advice and each Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) are registered charities that rely on over 21,000 volunteers and need to raise funds to deliver these vital services. One of the barriers to volunteering that has long been identified for people receiving welfare benefits is the perception that volunteering negatively affects their benefits. The aim of this study was therefore to provide a more quantitative analysis of the impact welfare benefits have on volunteering at a wider level and to suggest how improvements can be made so that more people on benefits can volunteer.
Volunteers have real concerns that volunteering may negatively affect their receipt of welfare benefits. Forty-eight percent of CAB volunteers were concerned, before they started volunteering, that it might affect their benefits. This discrepancy may have been because previous research has focused on particularly vulnerable groups such as homeless people, CAB volunteers are better informed because of them.
There is a communication gap between Jobcentre Plus staff and claimants regarding the impact of volunteering on benefits. However, when this is broken down by whether they volunteer or not, 15 per cent of CAB volunteers and 23 per cent of CAB clients who have volunteered elsewhere had received information, while only 2 per cent of CAB clients who had not they do this. Twenty-four percent of CAB clients who do not volunteer stated that they had considered volunteering.
Information should be made clear to claimants that volunteering does not adversely affect their benefits.
Background and aims 7
Background 7
Your income support will not normally be affected as long as you do not receive any payment other than to pay for costs such as transport or special clothing you need for. This will not affect your income support if it is reasonable for you not to be paid by the person or organization you are volunteering for. Voluntary work does not usually affect other social security benefits.” 8 The initial impetus for this research came from a number of concerns reported by Citizens Advice Bureaux.
An agency in the Midlands reported that their client, who was moving from Income Support to Jobseeker's Allowance, was informed by her local Jobcentre that if she did any voluntary work she would lose part of her Jobseeker's Allowance. The client was receiving incapacity benefit and wanted to do voluntary work - one office had told him there was no limit to how many hours he could work and another had told him he was limited to doing 16 hours otherwise would his performance be affected. The client was discouraged from attempting to volunteer as he was unsure whether this would affect his benefit or not.
An agency in the South West visited by a client who had been told his Jobseeker's Allowance would be sanctioned because of the volunteer work he was doing. He was told this was because the Department for Work and Pensions did not agree that volunteering would count as a step towards finding work.
Aims 10
Some organizations suggested that a new benefit should be created for people who are unemployed or on disability benefits and volunteering, as it is currently not possible for someone claiming disability benefits to volunteer more than 15 hours a week. '13 [Italics added by author].
Methodology 11
Analysis of the sample 12
Key findings 13
CAB volunteers: Before you started at the CAB were you concerned 13
Volunteers on Incapacity Benefit (75 per cent) and Disability Allowance (64 per cent) raised their levels of concern, as did those on Income Support (52 per cent) and Jobseeker's Allowance (64 per cent). As I am receiving incapacity benefit, I am worried that my voluntary work at the office will be used as proof that I am able to work.” It is reassuring to note that in most cases volunteering did not affect benefit payments.
Of the few affected, one suffered payment delays and another successfully appealed a benefit reduction decision. One volunteer noted that although volunteering did not affect the payment of his disability benefit, he was called for more frequent medical examinations on the basis that if he was fit to volunteer with CAB, he was therefore fit for work. . With such a small sample who said 'Yes' it is impossible to draw conclusions from the breakdown by gender, disability, age and benefits.
The response of people who did not answer whether they had a disability or not is a small sample anomaly.
CAB clients who do not volunteer: If you do not volunteer at the
CAB clients who do not volunteer: If you started volunteering how do 19
Although the research suggests that people on Pension Credit were the most likely group to believe it did not affect benefits, they make up only 5 per cent of the total sample, so this may be due to an anomaly caused by sample size. A large proportion of volunteers and clients (84 per cent) did not receive any information from their Jobcenter Plus office about whether volunteering could affect their benefit allowance, and only 8 per cent said it did. There is no discernible pattern when this is broken down by gender, disability, age and benefits, although women are slightly more likely to have received information (10 per cent) than men (5 per cent).
However, when divided into those who sign up and those who do not, there is a significant correlation between receiving information and volunteering. Those who volunteer, whether they are CAB volunteers or CAB clients volunteering elsewhere, were significantly more likely to have had it explained to them (15 per cent of CAB volunteers, 23 per cent of CAB clients , who volunteer elsewhere) than those who do not. voluntary (2 per cent). The problem with the wording of this question is that it does not take into account whether the correct information was provided.
Conclusion 24
Jobcentre Plus has produced two leaflets for applicants: 'Volunteering when you're unemployed helps others and can help you' and 'Financial help if you're working or looking for work'. The importance of knowing that there is no impact on claimant benefits while volunteering is highlighted by the well-researched link between volunteering and employability. The problem appears to be that information is not getting through to claimants with 84 per cent of people not receiving any information from their jobcentre.
From the breakdown of people who already volunteer, there is a positive relationship between people who volunteer and whether they received information about the impact it would have on their benefits. While only 2 percent of non-volunteer CAB clients received the information, 15 percent of CAB volunteers and 23 percent of volunteer CAB clients did. This suggests that either the information is only given in response to an inquiry or when staff do give information they are encouraging people to volunteer.
The former is supported by Gaskin's research, which said Jobcentre Plus staff would talk about volunteering 'should it arise'. 16 Gaskin, K Voluntary work and availability for work: an evaluation of the change to the Jobseeker's Allowance rules, Department for Work and Pensions, 2004. Almost a quarter of respondents who do not volunteer said they had considered to be volunteers.
However, it is less encouraging that respondents who had thought about volunteering but were not currently volunteering completed the survey in a place where they could volunteer. While it is not known why they don't volunteer, previous research has suggested that one of the most common reasons is because no one asked them. 44 percent of people would have become more involved in formal volunteering if “someone had asked me directly to get involved.”
32 percent said they would if 'someone already involved was there to help me get started' and. 28 percent said if 'more information about the things I could do was available'. This suggests that the voluntary sector has a leading role to play in ensuring that the right opportunities are offered, communicated effectively and managed and supported properly.
Recommendations 27
Financial help while you are working or looking for work, Jobcentre Plus, 2004 A national framework for youth action and engagement, The Russell Commission, 2005. Gaskin, K Voluntary work and availability for work: a review of the change in Jobseeker's Allowance schemes , Department for Work and Pensions, 2004. Gaskin, K and Shaw, O Volunteering Opportunities: Projects in Action: An In-Depth Study, Department of Health and Center for Social Policy Research, 1993.
