Signing on tomorrow

[antone]

In most cases, you should receive your payment on Friday this week.

[Gay_guy1986]

Just looking for some advice,

 

I went to my work programme appointment yesturday to see my adviser and she said I need to volunteer to get me some experience however if I volunteer could this affect my Jobseekers? how many days can I work without it affecting my JSA claim?

 

I told my adviser if this will affect my claim and she didn't know.

 

Really worried as I can't afford to loose my Jobseekers as I am living on my own in my flat.

 

Any advice would be great

 

Cheers.

[Nystagmite]

Unless it's changed since then, my JSA was never affected whilst I volunteered. But I still had to meet the JSA conditions.

[san_d]

If I was you I'd rather do some temp work than volunteer.

[Gay_guy1986]

If I was you I'd rather do some temp work than volunteer.

 

Why's that?

[Nystagmite]

That's assuming he can get temp work.

[san_d]

Volunteering should be for a cause you believe in, not a mean to get work experience. If you genuinely want a foot in the door or a change in career, temping is a good solution. Not as many chances as in the past, but better than nothing. Plus you'd have less pressure from the Jobcentre and a record of employment, that could avoid you some nasty mandatory work in the future.

[san_d]

That's assuming he can get temp work.

Yes Nys, I know, it's life. You can win or you can lose.

[Haven]

My friend and her partner volunteer and it doesn't affect their JSA

[Perseus1]

Volunteering

We know that volunteering can give you a better chance of finding paid work. So you can volunteer as many hours as you like while getting benefit as long as you keep to the main benefit rules.

You must tell Jobcentre Plus before you start volunteering.

You must not be paid money or anything else for volunteering. It’s okay to be paid your expenses, but you must tell us what you get and hold on to any receipts. Any money you get on top of expenses may be counted as earnings, and affect your benefit.

Choosing not to be paid is not the same as volunteering. If you’re doing what someone else would normally be paid for, we class this as ‘unpaid work’, not volunteering. We may decide that what you would have been paid should count as ‘notional earnings’, and this may affect your benefit. We decide by looking at whether:

• someone http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/@benefits/documents/digitalasset/dg_199994.pdf

[Perseus1]

Cross reference:

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?407639-JSA-amp-Training(11-Viewing)-nbsp

 

THe DWP may send you letters about volunteering asking for income and expenses. It is of best use of you get on a training course.

 

I have done volunteering w/o this and it got me not very far as far as income is concerned. Sometimes I felt a bit cheated after working hard and still struggling with dosh.

[Dave66]

Just one word of warning about volunteering!

 

I am currently volunteering for 9 hours a week as a means to gain new skills and enhance others needed for a career change. The company (similar to a4e and Ingeus) have already provided me with some tuition, and have said they'll support me (work placement) when I do a short college course next year. Because the company is not a charity, my JSA has been suspended for the past 5 weeks while DWP determine if my volunteering is okay. They are obviously checking that I'm not depriving anyone of a paid job. Ironically, the volunteering position is in the list of organisations given to us at the volunteer centre recommended by the JobcentrePlus!

[Gay_guy1986]

Just one word of warning about volunteering!

 

I am currently volunteering for 9 hours a week as a means to gain new skills and enhance others needed for a career change. The company (similar to a4e and Ingeus) have already provided me with some tuition, and have said they'll support me (work placement) when I do a short college course next year. Because the company is not a charity, my JSA has been suspended for the past 5 weeks while DWP determine if my volunteering is okay. They are obviously checking that I'm not depriving anyone of a paid job. Ironically, the volunteering position is in the list of organisations given to us at the volunteer centre recommended by the JobcentrePlus!

 

Bloody hell, now I am having second thoughts about it now as I can't afford to loose my JSA even for 5 weeks as I am on my own.

 

I am going to ask my adviser at my next appointment about this, Do I really need to do volunteer? will I loose my JSA if I don't do it? I just really need a paid job.

[antone]

Bloody hell, now I am having second thoughts about it now as I can't afford to loose my JSA even for 5 weeks as I am on my own.

 

I am going to ask my adviser at my next appointment about this, Do I really need to do volunteer? will I loose my JSA if I don't do it? I just really need a paid job.

 

You can volunteer. You just can't do a job that someone would normally be paid to do. It's not even a bad idea, really, as long as there's something in your area that might actually suit you.

 

Whether or not you can refuse? Well, I think Mr P is our WP expert, but my understanding is that you can refuse unless you've been mandated, which would mean they would have to tell you in writing with the appropriate letter.

[RebeccaPidgeon]

Just looking for some advice,

 

I went to my work programme appointment yesturday to see my adviser and she said I need to volunteer to get me some experience however if I volunteer could this affect my Jobseekers? how many days can I work without it affecting my JSA claim?

 

I told my adviser if this will affect my claim and she didn't know.

 

Really worried as I can't afford to loose my Jobseekers as I am living on my own in my flat.

 

Any advice would be great

 

Cheers.

If you are already skilled and qualified for the work that you do, then whereas it is your choice as to whether or not you offer to volunteer, do you really wish to occupy a job which could be filled by someone who is unemployed?

 

Of course, if push comes to shove, and you are minded to work for a business for nothing, then try to find something which reflects your interests.

[Perseus1]

Just looking for some advice,

 

I went to my work programme appointment yesturday to see my adviser and she said I need to volunteer to get me some experience however if I volunteer could this affect my Jobseekers? how many days can I work without it affecting my JSA claim?

 

I told my adviser if this will affect my claim and she didn't know.

 

Really worried as I can't afford to loose my Jobseekers as I am living on my own in my flat.

 

Any advice would be great

 

Cheers.

 

I posed the same question and found the answers on http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?407639-JSA-amp-Training(11-Viewing)-nbsp

 

You need to make a commitment as the charity will undergo considerable expenses to engage volunteers. I was in the reverse position, 200 people a year applying for voluntary positions with me and I would get grants so in theory it would cost me nothing for the extra staff, but it would mean larger premises and more outlay. If I thought if my volunteer would decide to stop (which is what happened) it was not easy to get a replacement. He is now volunteering elsewhere. One volunteer I gave a job recommendation to and he got a paid job with Age Concern until they found they could get enough volunteers for nothing and then he lost his job.

[Perseus1]

Just one word of warning about volunteering!

 

I am currently volunteering for 9 hours a week as a means to gain new skills and enhance others needed for a career change. The company (similar to a4e and Ingeus) have already provided me with some tuition, and have said they'll support me (work placement) when I do a short college course next year. Because the company is not a charity, my JSA has been suspended for the past 5 weeks while DWP determine if my volunteering is okay. They are obviously checking that I'm not depriving anyone of a paid job. Ironically, the volunteering position is in the list of organisations given to us at the volunteer centre recommended by the JobcentrePlus!

 

Let me know how you get on. I do voluntary work for up to 16 hours a week and sign on and get JSA. They ask about expenses. I think up to 16 hours a week and it does not make any difference. I filled in the form but it went into black hole and nothing was done about it until I suddenly got a letter from the DWP. I don't think it should be a problem. Charities but only one was registered and now they have de-registered. There is a trend for change and I do not think the charity has to be registered.

 

If you volunteer for 15 hours, you only have to do 15 hours job searching each week. 15 hours is a bad enough headache at times.

[Mr.P]

You can volunteer. You just can't do a job that someone would normally be paid to do. It's not even a bad idea, really, as long as there's something in your area that might actually suit you.

 

Whether or not you can refuse? Well, I think Mr P is our WP expert, but my understanding is that you can refuse unless you've been mandated, which would mean they would have to tell you in writing with the appropriate letter.

 

If you take a look at https://www.gov.uk/volunteering/when-people-can-volunteer the DWP1023.pdf leaflet states:

Choosing not to be paid is not the same as volunteering. If you’re doing what someone would normally be paid for - for example, if you’re working in a business or for a member of your family where they would usually pay someone to do the work - [the DWP] will class this as unpaid work, not volunteering.

Volunteering also gives you a lot more leeway than if you had been mandated to participate in a Mandatory Work Activity - If you find the position does not pan out for what ever reason, if you had volunteered, you can walk away without penalty. If it had been a MWA placement, you can expect a sanction unless you can demonstrate health & safety risk or unacceptable abuse took place.

 

If you decide to volunteer and at some point you get called in for a MWA referral, you could argue that the current volunteering position is a suitable substitute. It also gives you grounds for renegotiating your JSA Agreement - For example, if it states that you are available to start work immediately (always a bad idea), you could say that the organisation concerned needs 48 hours to find a replacement to cover your duties.

 

Voluntary work without being compelled or mandated benefits all concerned - You get to do something that you want to do and can gain satisfaction in doing something well. The organisation concerned gets someone that is willing and happy. The DWP saves on paperwork and placement fees because they do not have to involve the likes of A4e.

 

A quick google search shows a wide range of volunteer organisations ranging from animals to OAPs and from steam engines to sports. Plenty to suit all tastes without having to go anywhere near the likes of Poundland !

 

One final note - If you are claiming CT/HB, check with your local council as their rules on hours volunteered may be different to those of the DWP. Always get conformation in writing (from both the council and the DWP).

[Perseus1]

I am glad I did some research.

 

Advisor adamantly stated that volunteering is NOT possible.

 

A form is available from the Job Centre to complete.VOLWORK1JP 07/11

Edited October 31, 2013 by Perseus1

[Perseus1]

It turns out that the Advisor was against volunteering because people should be paid for the work that they do.

 

I agree with him and trial work schemes (if the employer does not cheat and just it as a ruse to get free or cheap labour: this happens a lot) would be preferable.

 

However, in this competitive environment I do not see much choice.

 

The trouble with volunteering is that I would still have to sign on the Work Programme and this itself is disturbing enough to muck up the chance of doing any volunteering work properly. I found it interferes to a very great extent and makes me forget things.

 

I still don't know if to tell them that I am claiming JSA or not?

 

Almost all voluntary work I have done before has left me short in the pocket over and above the cost of my time and left me a little short changed.

[antone]

It turns out that the Advisor was against volunteering because people should be paid for the work that they do.

 

I agree with him and trial work schemes (if the employer does not cheat and just it as a ruse to get free or cheap labour: this happens a lot) would be preferable.

 

However, in this competitive environment I do not see much choice.

 

The trouble with volunteering is that I would still have to sign on the Work Programme and this itself is disturbing enough to muck up the chance of doing any volunteering work properly. I found it interferes to a very great extent and makes me forget things.

 

I still don't know if to tell them that I am claiming JSA or not?

 

Almost all voluntary work I have done before has left me short in the pocket over and above the cost of my time and left me a little short changed.

 

Advisers should not allow their personal views to colour the advice they give. They're not even really supposed to express those opinions to claimants, but hey, they're human, I can forgive that. Telling claimants that volunteering is not allowed (when it most certainly is, in fact, it's encouraged) because one personally objects to the concept is unacceptable.

 

In principle, people should be paid for their labour, but in practice there are a lot of things that are of benefit to society but don't make anyone any money and therefore of no interest to the private sector. Government does some of those things, of course, but people do tend to fret about taxes and so on, so its resources are limited.

 

Now, this is not an argument for "volunteering" at Tesco - Tesco makes money and can damn well pay its staff as far as I'm concerned. But take another example. My wife is a volunteer coordinator for a project that helps the elderly with their gardens. It's beneficial to the clients and volunteers alike. Yet it doesn't make any money, and it never will, because although they don't means-test the clients before accepting them, most of them could not afford to pay for this service.

[Perseus1]

Advisers should not allow their personal views to colour the advice they give. They're not even really supposed to express those opinions to claimants, but hey, they're human, I can forgive that. Telling claimants that volunteering is not allowed (when it most certainly is, in fact, it's encouraged) because one personally objects to the concept is unacceptable.

 

In principle, people should be paid for their labour, but in practice there are a lot of things that are of benefit to society but don't make anyone any money and therefore of no interest to the private sector. Government does some of those things, of course, but people do tend to fret about taxes and so on, so its resources are limited.

 

Now, this is not an argument for "volunteering" at Tesco - Tesco makes money and can damn well pay its staff as far as I'm concerned. But take another example. My wife is a volunteer coordinator for a project that helps the elderly with their gardens. It's beneficial to the clients and volunteers alike. Yet it doesn't make any money, and it never will, because although they don't means-test the clients before accepting them, most of them could not afford to pay for this service.

 

I agree with you.

 

I can read the WP Advisor and he may or may not be able to read me. We incompatible in ideas and outlook and everything goes awry.

 

The trouble is I really want to do something useful and I need some dosh and it is not going forward.

 

In event I decided to go to Careers Advice but the Work Programme is in short a bloody hindrance. It just gives me a bad headache. Worse than that it is messing up my head.

 

Feeling like the Deuce of Hearts right now.

 

PS: Other people with other advisors don't seem so demoralised. I feel I am being picked upon, but it is not especially vindictive just their judgment calls vs my perception. As a collaborator I feel the rules are going to change any minute.

Edited October 31, 2013 by Perseus1

[Gay_guy1986]

I have been givin a volunteer position in a charity shop near my area and the lady who works in the shop said I can work only tuesday's from 10am - 1pm.

 

However this won't affect my JSA would it?

 

I don't really like charity shops but I want some shop experience

[antone]

I have been givin a volunteer position in a charity shop near my area and the lady who works in the shop said I can work only tuesday's from 10am - 1pm.

 

However this won't affect my JSA would it?

 

I don't really like charity shops but I want some shop experience

 

 

Tell your adviser when you sign on but no, it will not affect your JSA.

[Perseus1]

I have been givin a volunteer position in a charity shop near my area and the lady who works in the shop said I can work only tuesday's from 10am - 1pm.

 

However this won't affect my JSA would it?

 

I don't really like charity shops but I want some shop experience

 

 

A form is available from the Job Centre to complete.VOLWORK1JP 07/11

 

It might be best to keep a copy and a record of when you sent it in. From previous experience it just gets filed away somewhere.