Don't mention Voluntary Work

[ccridersuz]

:-?I made the mistake of telling the Benefits office I worked 1 day a week in a local charity shop, that was when I first decided to claim Jobseekers Allowance 8 weeks ago!! and guess who still has not received a penny to date??? The reason, the owner of the small independant charity shop is as I write, in India with the last 12 months taking's. He is a Reverand and at his own expense takes the charitable collection money over himself to make sure it is spent where it is needed.

I have to date responded to 3 letters, phoned 5 times stating the above facts, I am sorry I ever opened my mouth!! Try as I might to convince the agency that I am working there of my own free will without payment, seems to be like pinning jelly to a wall!!!

Don't say I didn't warn you!!!!

[ErikaPNP]

Are they under the assumption that you are being paid an income? Do they believe that you are not available for or actively seeking employment? What are the benefit section asking in the letters they are sending to you?

 

Have you at any point since you claimed, received a letter which tells you that you are entitled to JSA?

 

Voluntary work that is unpaid should not affect your claim, (any expenses you receive should be declared, but they will be disregarded, such as travelling expenses to attend the location of the work) so long as you are volunteering for a "not-for-profit" organisation, are available for and actively seeking employment, have a Jobseekers agreement in force and are able to attend interview within 48 hours notice, and are able to commence work at one weeks notice.

 

A lot of people are under a false assumption that you can only volunteer for 16 hours per week whilst receving benefits - this is incorrect. (Just in case you have heard this often ill-advised assumption from others!)

 

Something does not appear right at all here. If you post up more details I'll see if I can offer you any advice to get this sorted out. I work during the day so may not be able to respond till tomorrow evening.

[HannsG]

I never had any problems from the jobcentre when I did volunteer work, they were quite encouraging about it. They would occasionally send out some forms to the charity that asked for confirmation that they were not paying me for my work but that's about it.

 

My jobcentre even told me to make a note of the days I worked on my work log as they consided it to be a part of my actively seeking work commitments as I was gaining experience from it.

[Aviva]

I think the problem is not that the OP does some volunteer work but that they are unable to contact the owner of the charity shop. It appears that they want confirmation that the OP does not get paid for their work but as the owner is out of the country they have not been able to get this.

 

I sympathise with you as when I had to go on JSA they contacted the HR dept of where I worked previously to check that the reason the employment stopped was as I had stated. They in turn passed it to my former manager who was off sick with a severe back problem. So the form sat in an in tray for weeks. I eventually was told the reason why my JSA had not been assessed and managed to get an ex colleague to take the form to his home where he filled it in for me - HR were no help. I don't know what I would have done if he had not been so accommodating, my landlord had not been so undertsanding and if I had not known people who could lend me a bit of money in the meantime.

 

Is there a manager of the shop who would be able to give them the info? As you said it's a small independent chairty shop I'm guessing no.

 

However, my advice to anyone else is to let them know if you are doing voluntary work. You just need to look at some of the threads on here about people who didn't give information on things that actually would have had no effect on their claim but still get put through the ringer because they did not declare it.

[Guest wino]

Same thing happened to my sister. She was the secretary for the local under 14's Rugby club. She told the benefits office that she did this and they held up her claim until they had a letter from the secretary of the club that it was voluntary. So they sent HER the letter asking if SHE worked voluntary to which she replied to. However they realised what they had done and then sent a letter to the Chairman who was abroad for three weeks.

As she is a single parent of three children she could not wait for the Chairmans return and had no choice but to resign her position inorder to claim benefits to feed her children.

[ccridersuz]

Great News, after an irate phone call by me yesterday, was called today while I was in said charity shop, to say they were ignoring my voluntary 8 hours work and that a giro is on it's way, I cannot believe it!!! At last somebody has the sense to look at this objectively. It's been years since I last signed on, if it wasn't for desperation I would'nt have bothered this time, had I have known what I was letting myself in for. Jobcentre have already arranged for me to go on one of there back to work seminers!!! Which should be interesting!!! me being 52 and educated!!

What really get's to me is the fact that my lazy idle brother-in-law who hasn't worked (legally) a day for the last 30 odd years, has just been told at 60 that he can retire on a full pension!!! How the bloody hell can you retire from doing bugger all???? Meanwhile the rest of us have to carry on working until 65/70/75. Makes my blood boil!!!

Thanks to everyone for their advise, support, help and comments.

As usual this site has come up trumps, I will make a donation, when I have paid my Now Extensive Debts.

PS. Would like a job in my local jobcentre, as they spend more time chatting than working, kept me waiting 15mins last time.

[ErikaPNP]

So glad to hear you got this sorted out.

[FitzWilliam]

I'm glad it's worked out okay.

 

I don't like the way the DWP treat people with suspicion who tell them they're doing unpaid work for charities.

 

I once used to do a half-day every week volunteering at a charity shop. It was right next door to the jobcentre. I didn't bother telling them and they never saw me in there.

[jack1966]

rules on voluntary work has changed since the economic meltdown, (notice that its when it fits). now there are no restrictions, one can get and do vol. work when one can, as when one gains emplyment it is experince.

 

please forgive the tree can of carling, spent of benefit money couldnt afford a kebab though