Financial Support for Charities

I appreciate your concerns. I know many charities whose work is essential in filling gaps in our public services and social safety net are desperately worried about their finances. Furthermore, for health charities the financial difficulties they are confronting come alongside an increasing demand for vital support in the effort against COVID-19. These organisations need access to enough funding to carry out their work. It is for this reason that I have been calling on the Government for some time to provide charities with greater financial support.  

On 8 April, the Government announced a £750 million support package for charities. This includes £360 million directly allocated by Government departments to charities providing vital services and helping vulnerable people during the coronavirus emergency. The Government has stated that it is working at pace to identify priority recipients for this funding, with the aim for charities to receive money in the coming weeks. The support package also includes £370 million for small and medium-sized charities.  

This funding is welcome. However, I worry that it falls far short of filling the financial black hole many charities are facing. As the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has highlighted, charities are estimated to lose at least £4.3 billion over the coming weeks and months, and this package will not be enough to prevent good charities from closing. Even many charities that survive, NCVO notes, will be much less able to provide the support that people rely on.  

It is therefore vital that the Government continue to look at what additional measures and financial support it can make available to help charities. It must also take concerted action to guarantee this support can get to them as quickly as possible to prevent further damage being done. I can assure you that I will continue to press the Government on this as a key demand in tackling the coronavirus emergency.