Campaign on Reimbursement of Child Care Expenses
In December Herefordshire Volunteer Centre raised awareness of an important issue that had arisen regarding reimbursement of childcare and other care costs for volunteers. The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), in its response to consultation on the national minimum wage and voluntary workers, stated that reimbursement for care costs was a significant benefit in kind, and would therefore entitle volunteers who receive it to minimum wage.
The VC invited comments on a draft letter which the VC proposed to send to John Hutton, Secretary of State for BERR on behalf of volunteer involving organisations in Herefordshire, expressing concern about this course of action.
Eight organisations responded and fully supported the contents of the letter, three of which had also decided to make their own direct representations to the Secretary of State. The letter was then sent in January to Mr Hutton and also to the two MPs for the county. Paul Keetch MP took the matter up and both he and the VC received the same reply from BERR. This was to thank us for bringing our views on the matter to their attention and would keep the issue under review.
If there is any new development on this issue, information will be disseminated as soon as possible.
