Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to increase volunteering opportunities for disabled people.

The Pathways to Work Green Paper, published in March, highlights the value of volunteering in the transition from inactivity to employment.

The Department’s Strategic Relationship Team (SRT) has worked closely with the Shaping the Future with Volunteering Group to demonstrate the benefits volunteering can bring for Jobcentre Plus customers, in particular those that are furthest away from the labour market.

SRT has developed a toolkit and delivered a campaign to raise the awareness of volunteering opportunities, dispel myths, share good news stories and demonstrate how this may be a stepping stone into employment.

Whilst the focus is not specifically on volunteering for disabled customers volunteering is proven to support people with health conditions, building confidence and helping to improve mental and physical health and wellbeing and is an ideal solution for those further away from the labour market to help remove barriers, build skills and confidence, and therefore acts as an employment enabler without any risk to benefit claims.