voluntary work and universal credit

cupid07

Hi all, just some Qs on voluntary work and universal credit.

Background info:

Worked in the public sector, got made redundant and have been unemployed 3 months.
Over the age of 25.

My advisor wants me to do voluntary work. She hasn't said how long it should be for or what type of hours. She printed off some notes and it started should be "free for upto 6 months?"

She sometimes refers to this as voluntary work, sometimes as work experience. Are the two the same?

She found me some work with a non-profit charity, not related to what i was working as before. The free for upto 6 months has obviously put me off as i feel thats an awful long time.

Is it odd i'm being offered this as i'm over the age of 25? currently did work up until 3 months ago? have two counts of voluntary experience and this voluntary work is something i could probably do with my eyes shut/unrelated to my sector? It won't add much to my skills since i've already done similar things in other roles before. Her argument is "something more to add to the cv". I have 8 past jobs listed on my cv including the two voluntary roles.

I wouldn't mind volunteering occasionally, but something related to my job search and would prefer to find my own. If i do this, will i need to provide details of where it is? what i'm doing ect? Will she contact them?

Lastly, she asked me to fill in the application (Yes an application for voluntary work:mad:) and send it to her. Why not just ask me to send it onto the charity? what were her reasons for doing this?

xapprenticex

You can only volunteer with a not-for-profit organisation (charity) AND claim benefit.

If you do a job someone would normally be paid to do (basically outside of a charity) then you can not claim benefit. If you can afford to stay afloat while doing this placement then go for it, otherwise it will interfere with benefits.

MsBlonde

Just ask if it's mandatory? If it is then you have no choice to do it...

cupid07

Its not mandatory as on the computer she had two options to click and she filed it as "voluntary".

She originally tried to get me to volunteer in a non not-for-profit sector, surely as an advisor she would know this cannot be done?

I'm just wondering if its unreasonable me not wanting to do this one? due to length of time, my skills, my experience ect.