Please use this document carefully
People who are in receipt of Jobseeker supports can do certain forms of voluntary work. However, the individual must still meet the conditions for receiving their unemployment benefit, i.e. you must still be actively and genuinely seeking work and be available to take up work as soon as an opportunity comes your way. Volunteers should be aware that a commitment to full-time volunteering may deem you unavailable for work, which may affect your entitlements.
Voluntary organisations that wish to have individuals in receipt of Social Welfare must have approval from the individual’s local employment exchange before taking on the volunteer. To do this, the organisation must complete an application form (VW1) which can be obtained from the local office of the Department of Social Protection.
According to the Department of Social Protection, you may volunteer if you are receiving the following payments:-
Job-seekers Allowance
A person may engage in voluntary work and continue to be entitled to JA provided s/he continues to satisfy the conditions of being available for and genuinely seeking work.
A number of factors are taken into account by a Deciding Officer in determining whether the work involved is voluntary and whether a person would continue to satisfy the conditions for the receipt of JA, and these include:
- the aims and standing of the voluntary organisation,
- the nature of the work involved,
- the weekly number of hours volunteering,
- The employment must be truly voluntary and the Deciding Officer must be satisfied that the unemployed person is not engaging in work that would normally warrant liability for the payment of PRSI
The Voluntary Work Option embraces a wide variety of voluntary activities, e.g. assisting the elderly, the sick or the disabled in their homes or in institutions or assisting voluntary bodies such as youth clubs and resident associations. A person who wishes to apply for payment under the Voluntary Work Option must complete an application form (VW1), which is available from Social Protection Local Offices.
The application form VW1 should be submitted to the relevant Local Office for decision before s/he commences the voluntary work.
Job-seekers Benefit
According to the Department of Social Protection, a person may engage in voluntary work and continue to be entitled to JB provided s/he continues to satisfy the conditions of being available for and genuinely seeking work. A number of factors are taken into account by a Deciding Officer in determining whether the work involved is voluntary and whether a person would continue to satisfy the conditions for the receipt of JB, and these include the aims and standing of the voluntary organisation, the nature of the work involved, the weekly number of hours worked.
The employment must be truly voluntary and the Deciding Officer must be satisfied that the unemployed person is not engaging in work that would normally warrant liability for the payment of PRSI. The Voluntary Work Option embraces a wide variety of voluntary activities, e.g. assisting the elderly, the sick, or people with disabilities in their homes or in institutions or assisting voluntary bodies such as youth clubs and resident associations. A person who wishes to apply for payment under the Voluntary Work Option must complete an application form (VW1), which is available from Social Protection Local Offices and your local Volunteer Centre.
The application form VW1 should be submitted to the relevant Local Office for decision before s/he commences the voluntary work.
Illness Benefit or Disability Benefit
If you are receiving illness or disability benefit, according to the Department of Social Protection you are allowed to engage in: work for which you do not get paid, or work you do as part of treatment while you are a patient in a hospital or a similar place, or work you do as an out-worker under a charitable scheme, as long as your weekly earnings are under a certain limit.
You must first get permission from the Department of Social Protection before doing work of any kind. Contact 1890 66 22 44
Disability Allowance
Please contact the Disability Allowance section of the Department of Social and Family Affairs on 1809 66 22 44 or contact your local office.
Invalidity Pension
A person receiving an invalidity pension may volunteer, with the prior written permission of an officer of the Minister. For further information contact the Department of Social and Family Affairs on 1890 66 22 44 or phone your local office.
Blind Person’s Pension
Please contact the Department of Social Protection on 1890 66 22 44, or phone your local office.
All information in this fact-sheet is taken from the
Department of Social Protection website
If you have any queries about any of the information above, please contact the
Department of Social Protection on 1890 66 22 44.
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People who are unemployed, have the right to volunteer. The range of voluntary opportunities available is endless.
By volunteering you can:
1. Gain Experience – Volunteer experience looks great on a CV. Also, some of the work you do could lead to a job doing similar work.
2. Improve Your Health and Self-Esteem – Volunteering to help others has been shown to reduce stress, give you hope and boost your self-esteem.
3. Meet Real Community Needs – Helping people learn to read, or get basic food, clothing, shelter or furniture makes a huge difference! Whether the project is planting a tree or tutoring children, the community will look and feel better.
4. Gain New Skills and Develop Talents – Whether you enjoy working with computers, children, or seniors, any interest you have can be developed through volunteering.
5. Show Commitment – By volunteering, unemployed people are showing potential employers that they can commit to work, are used to the work routine and have recently used, and possibly improved, their skills.