Community Development Project - Manchester

We decided a while back to pay people for the work they do in this community and call it "volunteer expenses" regardless of their benefit status. Why shouldn’t they be rewarded for the work they do? For example, if people do a day's work we pay them a standard £50 expenses. I don't know if people declare this. It is hard work to find the right way to make payments or if we are allowed to do it at all. It would be good to have some kind of government policy that says this is how you can make payments to individuals in the community who do work for you. It would be good to feel that the system supports community work, instead of feeling like it's trying to trip us up.

It doesn't work for everyone to do a conventional, nine to five, Monday to Friday week. People often need greater flexibility so that they can make a contribution and we think they should get paid for it. It helps deal with stress from financial insecurity, and improves their confidence and their belief about their own value and worth.