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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.