Government lays amendment to remove restrictions for voluntary workers
11 March 2008
Peers in the House of Lords will later this week debate a proposed change
in the law, which will allow voluntary workers to rightfully claim a wider
range of expenses.
An amendment to the Employment Bill will clarify the expenses that
voluntary workers can claim without triggering eligibility for the national
minimum wage.
If passed, the amendment will clarify that voluntary workers are entitled
to claim reimbursement for expenses such as the cost of travel to and from
work and childcare or carer expenses. Under current legislation voluntary
workers are only entitled to claim back expenses incurred while performing
their duties.
The proposed amendment follows a consultation conducted by Department for
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) into the National Minimum
Wage Act 1998.
Minister for Employment Relations, Pat McFadden said:
“The Government has listened to calls for expenses concerned with
voluntary work to be disregarded and we have tabled this amendment to
ensure we remove a barrier to taking part in voluntary work."
Phil Hope, Minister for the Third Sector, said:
“We want to be sure that voluntary workers are not out of pocket as a
result of volunteering, while also minimising the chances of low paying
jobs emerging. Voluntary workers do not get paid, but they still
incur expenses as a result of their work, and this new legislation will
allow those expenses to be paid without any problems. This is another
example of government action to remove barriers to voluntary workers and
reduce bureaucratic burdens."
BERR, the Office of the Third Sector and the devolved administrations will
work closely with voluntary organisations to develop clear guidance on
expenses to accompany the new legislation.
