Universal Credit and volunteering

nenaw

Hello, I have spent the last few hours looking unsuccessfully to find an answer, so thought I'd ask.


A number of months ago I became rather unwell and was unable to work so, I ended up sick on Universal Credit work related activity thing, where I didn't have to look for work but I was preparing to go back into work. I now feel better an I am able to return to work and have been looking for around about 2 months now.


At the last two meetings with my work coach, she has been rather forceful with me. She has said that as I've not been able to get a job within 2 months I HAVE to start volunteering at a charity shop or something. She is really pressuring me, saying that if I don't then I may face sanction.


It's not that volunteering isnt a noble thing to do, its just I don't want to. I want to return to full paid work. While I can do a job, I'm limited with the type of work I can do due to my previous illness. Otherwise I'm sure I would've had a job by now.


There is nothing in my Claimant Commitment saying that I will take volunteering work and I just want to know if she can actually force me into it? Can I be sanctioned if I refuse to volunteer? I don't want to do anything wrong and end up with a sanction as I'm a single parent to 2 children.


Any help and advice would be kindly received. Thank you.

poppy12345

It sounds like you're in the Limited capability for work (LCW) and not the limited capability for work related activity (LCWRA). If so then yes you will be in the work preparation requirement group.



This group will be expected to take reasonable steps to prepare for work, such as attending a skills assessment, preparing a CV, participating in training or an employment programme, and undertaking work experience or a work placement.

A sanction may be applied to your Universal Credit award if you fail to undertake work-related activity. This sanction may be imposed for a period until you meet the compliance condition that you failed, or for up to 26 weeks.


https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Claimant-commitment-Universal-Credit

calcotti

This is what the DWP's own guidance says:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/810643/admj3.pdf

The work preparation requirement
Introduction
J3040 The Secretary of State can require that a claimant take particular action for the purpose of making it more likely that the claimant will obtain
1. paid work or
2. more paid work or
3. better-paid work.
This is known as the work preparation requirement.
Note: It is the Secretary of State’s opinion that matters as to whether the particular action will enable the claimant to obtain 1., 2. or 3.

J3041 The amount of time that has to be spent on any particular action can be specified by the Secretary of State1. See J3053 et seq and J3065.

Types of action
J3042 The kinds of action which may be specified by the Secretary of State include
1. attending a skills assessment
2. improving personal presentation
3. taking part in training
4. taking part in an employment programme
5. undertaking

5.1 work experience or
5.2 a work placement

6. developing a business plan
7. any other prescribed action.
Note: Taking part in work experience in 5.1 under a work-related requirement remains voluntary but where the claimant has agreed to work experience as a work- preparation requirement, they will be expected to comply, otherwise a sanction may apply.

The concluding note indicates that unless you have previously agreed to take part in work experience and then refused you cannot be sanctioned for refusing.

However the doesn't mean that you will not be sanctioned as DWP frequently fail to follow their own guidance (in part at least because many staff are inadequately trained and don't know the guidance).

Look carefully at what you have agreed in your claimant commitment. You may wish to refer your work coach to the guidance I have quoted.

Having said that doing some voluntary work may well help with seeking paid work - depending on the volunteering job itself.

tomtom256

They cannot sanction you for not doing voluntary work, especially if you are in the work prep group, which you must be if you are still seeing your work coach.

You should be going as a minimum every 3 months between appointments, they can ask you to do courses and voluntary work, but cannot force you to do it.

Check your commitments also as there should be no work requirements in them other than something like "review what work you may be able to do that will not impact on your health condition".

kingfisherblue

I can't answer your question about whether you can be sanctioned for not volunteering, but I would suggest that you give it some thought. I understand that you would prefer to return to full time paid work, but volunteering might help you to do that.

Firstly, you may be able to try different types of volunteering - this may give you an indication of the types of job that you may be able to do in the future, and that you may enjoy, especially if you can no longer work in your previous job.

Secondly, you will have a better idea of exactly how much you can manage - full time might be too much to start with. Volunteering could be a gentle reintroduction to your intention of returning to work.

Thirdly, volunteering can help you to gain new skills. As a Rainbow and Brownie leader, I benefit from First Aid training every three years, plus safeguarding training, GDPR training, and learning several new skills (although I don't think that I can count my experiences of grass sledging or zip wires as skills ).

Fourthly - and I think that this is quite important - you will have the opportunity to ask for an up-to-date reference when you are ready to seek paid work. You might even gain employment from the charity that you volunteer for.

Finally, volunteering can help with confidence and self esteem. Being reliant on benefits can be depressing and can have a negative effect on your mental health. Having a reason to get up in the morning, or to leave the house, can be very important - it is to me (I'm my son's carer, and much as I love him, I need something for myself).

Obviously it depends on what type of volunteering you do. Charity shops may hold absolutely no interest, but there are so many other things to consider. Doing admin for a charity, helping with animals, keeping a graveyard tidy - there are plenty of opportunities. I love my Guiding, but I appreciate that dealing with twenty children for a couple of hours isn't everyone's idea of a good time . We're using hammers and nails tomorrow.....

nenaw

Thank you all for the replies you've given me, they have been helpful.


I would like to say though, that I am no longer in the limited capability for work group, I was but as I felt better, I asked to be moved out of it - and I am sure thats what they did, so I think I'm just a regular person looking for work now. It just didn't feel right with me that I was doing nothing and getting benefits for it. I guess a lot of that was down to the shame I felt being on benefits in the first place as I, up until I became sick, have always worked and in a way I constantly felt like I was scrounging... I guess it was all in my head.


Again, not that volunteering isnt noble or anything, I just don't know what I'll get out of it. As I'd worked as a software developer before and I want to go back into that field... and like I say, I don't know what me volunteering in a charity shop (or something like that) would help.

To be honest, a lot of it comes down to how I feel they are treating me, rather than anything else. I feel like the work coach looks at me like I'm !!!!less layabout who doesn't want to work. I feel she is really looking down on me and talks down to me too. I guess I'm jjust a bit angry at the way she is speaking to me, her tone is very harsh and she's 'warning' me all the time that I MUST do this and that..


Once again, thanks for the replies.

NeilCr

Where I volunteer we get a number of folks who use the volunteering as a step to finding work. They are usually in admin roles and are "return to workers". A high percentage of them do find jobs. A double edged sword really - as we are pleased for them, obviously, but then we have to find replacements which is never easy!

They will say they get confidence from being in a work place environment, they get used to interacting with work colleagues, they get used to the routine of work again and they get a buzz out of being "useful" and helping those less fortunate than themselves.

They go to all sorts of jobs - not just what they are doing with us

Sheepski

If nothing else, volunteering would provide you with a work routine again. It was vital for me to get used to going back out after being ill for a few years, getting used to being around people and doing work, even if it wasn't what I wanted to do as paid work.

There's nothing to say you have to volunteer and not look for work at the same time.

And volunteering isn't just "work in a charity shop or something". There would be lots of charities who would love work on their IT, social media, network systems, websites etc which would be a lot closer to your field of work