Age UK statement on the workfare scheme
Published on 17 August 2016 11:01 PM
"Age UK is a large organisation with around 75,000 volunteers, working hard to improve later life. We are committed to giving all individuals who volunteer with us an enjoyable and fruitful experience, with some finding it a useful way to move closer to the labour market.
"We are an inclusive organisation and we value our volunteers extremely highly.
"Age UK, the national charity, is not involved in the mandatory welfare to work scheme. This includes its network of over 410 shops across the UK.
"Age UK strives to support individuals with a diverse range of needs who choose to volunteer with us. Our absolute priority is to do the right thing for the people in later life we exist for.
"Our volunteering programme will continue to ensure that volunteer recruitment processes focus on the benefit to older people and our work and the welfare of individual participants.
"There are more than 150 local Age UKs across the country, some of whom operate independent shops, who are independent local charities making their own decisions on this and other issues based on the needs of their local communities."