Volunteers denied lunch expenses

Section 4 of a guidance leaflet (, 700KB) issued by the DWP states that lunch expenses are not a legitimate expense to be reimbursed to benefit claimants; it seems likely that this directive would apply to Northern Ireland also, but some confusion arises from the presence of a conflicting statement in a leaflet currently available from the DSD in Northern Ireland. As can be expected, the Volunteer Development Agency, who first became concerned about the issue, are preparing to lead the charge.

A key issue highlighted by the affair is an apparent failure to consult the voluntary and community sector on proposed legislation, where it would clearly affect the ability of the sector to recruit new volunteers; this would be a unilateral move against ‘the Compact’ between government and the sector, and raises grave concerns on its own.

The issue has raised concerns across the sector, with the Volunteer Development Agency particularly concerned that, should the directive apply to Northern Ireland, it would certainly create new barriers to volunteering for people on benefits, leaving them out of pocket unnecessarily.

The Agency has written to the Minister, to highlight these key concerns, and is undertaking a letter-writing campaign, to inform Members of Parliament and Assembly Members of the issue.

Those concerned with the issue are urged to use this sample letter ( 30KB) as a template to express these new worries to representatives, incorporating personal examples of how this policy could adversely affect you as a volunteer or volunteers within your organisation. The letter is similar to one used in England by the Volunteer Programme managers’ discussion group, with amendments to reflect the Northern Ireland policy landscape. It is hoped that a unified, yet regionalised message can be made to influence policy makers across the UK.

The Volunteer Development Agency pleads with concerned parties to take up the campaign, to ensure that policy makers understand the impact such a change could have on volunteering. If you do decide to take part, please send a copy of any letter you send to shannon@volunteering-ni.org to help the agency manage the campaign.