P&G update: 27.09.23

Charity Commission Quiz; Cost of living payment; Net zero; Powers of attorney; Defibrillator funding

Latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact and/or may require action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable:

Charity Commission updates

• Charity Commission launches new quiz for trustees to test their knowledge – The Charity Commission’s next phase of its Trustee Campaign gets underway.  Support for Charity Trustees, including 5-minute guides on issues like safeguarding, managing finances and conflicts of interest, together with a Trustee Quiz: 

• Whistleblowing disclosures made to the Charity Commission for England and Wales 2022 to 2023:
  Key findings from 2022 to 2023 disclosures:
  • there has been a 16% increase in the number of disclosures compared to the previous reporting period
  • the majority of disclosures are from employees and ex-employees
    the primary issues raised were governance, safeguarding or financial management concerns which is consistent with the 2021-2022 reporting period
    
    The highest number of disclosures in recent years occurred in 2020-2021 and the Charity Commission believe this was driven by the uncertainties and financial challenges associated with the Covid-19 pandemic.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/whistleblowing-disclosures-made-to-the-charity-commission-for-england-and-wales-2022-to-2023/whistleblowing-disclosures-made-to-the-charity-commission-for-england-and-wales-2022-to-2023

Second 2023 to 2024 Cost of Living Payment dates announced

Millions of households across the UK will receive £300 directly from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) between 31 October and 19 November.

• This is the second of 3 payments totalling up to £900 supporting eligible people on means-tested benefits with the cost of living
• Payments make up part of the Government’s record financial support for the most vulnerable worth an average of £3,300 per household
• Tax credits-only customers who do not qualify for a payment from DWP will receive £300 from HMRC between 10 and 19 November 2023

Click here for link to full details

Net Zero by 2050

PM recommits UK to Net Zero by 2050 and pledges a “fairer” path to achieving target to ease the financial burden on British families

UK’s over-delivery on reducing emissions provides space to take a more pragmatic, proportionate, and realistic approach to reaching net zero. The changes are as follows:

• Delay the ban on installing oil and LPG boilers, and new coal heating, for off-gas-grid homes to 2035, instead of phasing them out from 2026. Many of these homes are not suitable for heat pumps, so this ensures homeowners are not having to spend around £10-15,000 on upgrading their homes in just three years’ time.
• Set an exemption to the phase out of fossil fuel boilers, including gas, in 2035, so that households who will most struggle to make the switch to heat pumps or other low-carbon alternatives won’t have to do so. This is expected to cover about a fifth of homes, including off-gas-grid homes – those that will need expensive retrofitting or a very large electricity connection.
• Scrap policies to force landlords to upgrade the energy efficiency of their properties, but instead continue to encourage households to do so where they can.
• Raise the Boiler Upgrade Grant by 50% to £7,500 to help households who want to replace their gas boilers with a low-carbon alternative like a heat pump.

Click here for full details

Step forward to online Lasting Power of Attorney

The most vulnerable in society will be better protected as reforms to simplify and streamline lasting powers of attorney are given Royal Assent.

• Power of Attorney Act receives Royal Assent
• creates new safeguards to protect against fraud and abuse
• digitalisation to improve processing time and reduce human error

These legal agreements enable a person to grant decision making powers about their care, treatment or financial affairs to another person if they lose mental capacity.

The Powers of Attorney Act fires the starting gun on bringing the existing paper-based process online for the first time. The changes, when introduced, will make the system quicker, easier to access and more secure for the thousands of people who make and rely on a lasting power of attorney every year.

The legislation, which was introduced by Stephen Metcalfe MP and supported by the government, will also strengthen existing fraud protection by allowing checks on the identity of those applying for a lasting power of attorney.

The new online system and the additional safeguards are now being developed by the Office of the Public Guardian. 

Click here for full details

Defibrillator funding for community spaces across England

The Department of Health and Social Care is inviting interested organisations to register expressions of interest for its £1 million Community Automated External Defibrillators Fund, aimed at increasing the number of AEDs in public places where they are most needed and to help save lives.  

The Defibrillators will be provided in an external lockable cabinet and confirmation of match funding (c.£750) will be required. 100 defibrillators will be selected to be fully funded, selected from the applications in areas that most need a defibrillator.

Charities can apply, eligibility conditions include the defibrillator cabinet must be located outside in an area that is accessible to members of the public 24 hours a day, provide match funding (c.£750), be able to provide an external power source to ensure the defibrillator cabinet light and heater operate to keep the device at the right temperature.

Click here for full details

posted 25 September 2023, updated 27 September 2023