Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what arrangements his Department has in place with the voluntary sector to enable benefit claimants to undertake voluntary work.

We believe that volunteering can play an important part in the life of unemployed people – not only by improving their chances of securing paid work but also through providing valuable support to their communities.

Claimants can therefore do unlimited voluntary work whilst claiming benefits, providing they continue to meet all the usual entitlement conditions, although volunteers are allowed additional time to make themselves available for interviews and to take-up employment.