Volunteering & Social Welfare

A jobseeker who engages in voluntary work within the State may continue to be entitled to a jobseekers payment provided that, in engaging in the voluntary work, they continue to satisfy the statutory conditions of being available for and genuinely seeking work. Volunteers should be aware that a commitment to full time volunteering may deem you unavailable for work, which may affect your entitlements.

Please see the link below for the latest information from the Department of Social Protection

JobseekersVoluntaryWorkOption_2010.pdf

If you need further assistance contact us by e-mail, phone, fax or just call in, we will be happy to help you.

By volunteering you can:

1. Gain Job Experience: Volunteer experience looks great on a resume. Also, some of the work you do could lead to a job doing similar work.

2. Improve Your Health and Self-Esteem: Volunteering to help others has been shown to reduce stress, give you hope, and boost your self-esteem.

3. Meet Real Community Needs: Helping people learn to read, or get basic food, clothing, shelter or furniture makes a huge difference! Whether the project is planting a tree or tutoring children, the community will look and feel better.

4. Gain New Skills and Develop Talents: Whether you enjoy working with computers, children, or seniors, any interest you have can be developed through volunteering.

5. Potential employers: By volunteering, unemployed people are showing potential employers that they can commit to work, are used to the work routine and have recently used, and possibly improved, their skills.