On 24 February 2022 the Charities Bill received Royal Assent and passed into law as the Charities Act 2022. The proposed changes have been designed to make life simpler for trustees, to reduce the regulatory pressures and unnecessary bureaucracy, and to maximise the benefits delivered by a charity.
The key changes of the new Charities Act are:
- It will be more straightforward to change a charity’s governing documents.
- Charities will be allowed to borrow up to 25% from a permanent endowment fund over a 20 year period without Charity Commission permission.
- Charities will be able to access a wider pool of professional advisors when selling land and there will be more straightforward rules on the advice required.
- Trustees will be allowed to be paid for goods provided to a charity in certain circumstances.
- There will be simpler and more proportionate rules on failed fund-raising appeals allowing amounts raised below £120 to be spent on similar charitable purposes.
It is now down to the Charity Commission to implement these changes. This will be a key priority for the Charity Commission during 2022 and 2023 and provisions are likely to be brought into force gradually.
First Published 12 April 2022
Last Updated 12 April 2022
12 April 2022
First published
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