Volunteers suffer blow on pay hopes

Pay for residents involved in regenerating their communities will
not be considered by the government in the “foreseeable future”, a
civil servant confirmed this week.

Gill Taylor, of the Department for Work and Pensions, told
delegates at the Urban Forum Annual Conference in London that it
was “really difficult to pay volunteers over and above the expenses
they incur”.

But she admitted that more had to be done to sort out the
“complicated” rules on benefits after delegates said confusion over
how volunteering affected benefit entitlement was causing
concern.

Chris Penberthy, chief executive of Volunteer Development England,
said it was “outrageous” that volunteers were having trouble being
paid for travel, meals and child care.

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