Public Benefit Consultation

The Charity Commission consulted widely before publishing its guidance on public benefit earlier this year. Draft guidance for four distinct sub-sectors has now been published for consultation.

This provides further guidance as to how the principles of the Commission’s general guidance on public benefit will apply to these sub-sectors and concerns charities working for:

• the relief of poverty;
• the advancement of education;
• the advancement of religion;
• charities charging fees for their services

The draft supplementary guidance can be downloaded from http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/publicbenefit/default.asp

The Consultation timetable is:

• consultation until 30 June for the prevention of poverty and advancement of religion;
• consultation until 11 July for the advancement of education and fee charging charities; and
• finalised supplementary guidance published by the end of 2008.

We responded to the Charity Commission’s Consultation last year on the general public benefit guidance, and are now examining this further draft supplementary guidance, with the aim of responding to the Commission. So, if you are involved in a charity and would like to make your views on any of the draft supplementary guidance known, please contact Chris Knight at chrisknight@hewitsons.com