The below information was sent, via email to all volunteers and employees across SSAFA, on 28 May 2026.

To: all volunteers, employees and trustees 

Dear colleagues,

Focus: Expenses in GoAssemble (GA)

As GoAssemble (GA) continues to roll out across the network, with the majority of volunteers now using it day to day, this update brings together a few practical reminders on submitting expenses.

The key principle

Volunteers are not expected to be out of pocket for their volunteering activities with SSAFA, your time and dedication are more than enough. If you incur costs whilst undertaking your volunteer role, you can claim them back via GA. Please note that expense claims should be in line with our Volunteer Expenses Policy.  

We ask all volunteers to submit expense claims regularly, preferably on a monthly basis, to support timely reimbursement. If you forget to submit your claim one month, don’t worry, claims can be submitted up to three months after the expense was incurred.

How to claim expenses in GA as a volunteer

To help ensure your claims are processed quickly and accurately:

• Add expenses, along with receipts, as soon as possible after an activity or visit. You don’t have to submit them straight away.
• These will sit in your Unclaimed Expenses list until submitted.
• Once a month, submit all expenses for approval and payment as good practice.

You can find a step by step guide on Volunteer Knowledgebase, including how to submit expenses and who to contact if you need support.

Keeping your bank details up to date is essential to avoid delays in processing your claims. In GA, you can update your details yourself whenever needed. Follow this link to learn more.

Role selection when submitting expenses

Some volunteers hold more than one volunteering role. When submitting expenses in GA, please take a moment to check that you are selecting the role linked to the activity you are claiming for.  

For example, you may have an expense from undertaking a mentee visit and another from attending a branch community engagement event. These claims must be submitted separately, selecting your mentor role for the mentee visit and your community engagement volunteer (CEV) role for the branch event. This is because the claims are approved by different teams and reimbursed from different budgets, depending on the service.

Selecting the wrong role when submitting an expense claim will mean your claim is routed incorrectly. This will result in the claim being rejected and having to be resubmitted, therefore delaying repayment.

Please note: If you hold a Branch Connection, please do not use this for expense submissions. Instead, select the relevant volunteering role connected to your activity, as stated in the Branch Connection Guidance. If the Branch Connection role is selected, the claim will be rejected and will need to be resubmitted.

Reminder: GA expense submission window

GA has a three-month technical submission window, meaning it will only accept expenses dated within this period.

In exceptional cases, where a claim falls outside this window, it may be considered with agreement from the relevant budget holder. Volunteers should contact the Volunteer Experience (VE) team, via the Contact Us button in GA, for support.

Thank you for your continued support in keeping our processes efficient.