JSA and voluntary work

Miss_Scrooge_2

How many hours of voluntary work can I do without it affecting my JSA?

Will I receive help with travel costs?

joyce63

Here's what it says on the Directgov website - basically you can volunteer full-time so long as you are still actively seeking work. And you can claim travel expenses:

How volunteering affects your benefits
Volunteering shouldn’t affect your right to benefits, as long as the only money you receive is to cover your volunteering expenses. For example, expenses to cover travel from home to the volunteering location.
There are no limits on the amount of time you can volunteer for, nor any restrictions on the types of organisation you can volunteer for. The only requirement is that you continue to meet the conditions of the benefit or tax credit you are receiving.
For example, if you receive Jobseekers Allowance, you can volunteer full time as long as you are still actively seeking employment. Also, you must be able to attend job interviews at 48 hours notice and available to take up paid work at one week’s notice.
However, in most cases, if you volunteer full-time and receive an allowance from your volunteering organisation you will not usually be eligible to receive benefits. It is always advisable to discuss your choice of voluntary work with your benefits adviser before you start.
Your benefits adviser will vary depending on the type of benefit you receive. It could be your local council (for benefits such as Council Tax and Housing Benefit), Jobcentre Plus or The Pension Service.