Volunteers - Know your Rights!

Date: Feburary - March

Time: 9am - 12pm

Derbyshire Unemployed Workers' Centres provide free and independent welfare rights advice and representation, as well as campaigning for the rights of those who are unemployed, on a low income or who have been made sick, injured or disabled by their work.

Derbyshire unemployed workers centre held a breakfast seminar around volunteers and their right. It’s aim was to help representatives from voluntary sector organisations that are currently working or thinking about working with volunteers to learn about benefit entitlements for volunteers and the law surrounding expenses.

The main lessons learnt were that there are a lot of implications surrounding volunteers’ receiving benefits and expenses. Volunteering organisations need to be careful about how they administer expenses and ensure that they are mindful of the law. Volunteers need to advise the Job Centre if they are taking up volunteering placements. Voluntary organisations should make volunteers aware of their rights when claiming benefits as Job Centre staff do not always get it right.

The discussions were focused. The delegates were given some case studies to discuss in small groups and then discussed their conclusions in the larger group. The delegates also raised questions with the facilitators on the topics being discussed as and when they felt the need.

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