Unemployment

Question

Asked by

The Earl of Dundee
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce unemployment through full-time volunteering schemes such as those deployed by ProjectScotland.[HL3240]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government & Department for Work and Pensions (Lord McKenzie of Luton)
People receiving jobseeker's allowance can take part in unlimited volunteering, provided they still meet the requirements for receiving jobseeker's allowance.

In addition to this, Project Scotland and Jobcentre Plus work together to help jobseekers access volunteering opportunities that would enable them to gain valuable work experience and skills.

As part of the Government's support for the unemployed, we introduced the six-month offer, which includes volunteering opportunities to jobseekers who find themselves out of work for six months or more. The lead broker in Scotland for the volunteering option of the six-month offer is Volunteer Development Scotland.