further clarification here ladies - from the 1st of July, recipients of parenting payment (single or partnered) and newstart can have an exemption from the activity test (looking for work, working, studying, voluntary work) if they are the principal carer or 4 or more dependent children - the exemption is applied for 12 months at a time. Also, changes to the activity test from 1st July mean that voluntary work is also an approved activity and you can meet your requirements through a combination of paid work, voluntary work and study as long as the total hours is 15 hours per week.