The Almshouse Association regularly posts a news summary of the latest Policy and Governance legislation that could impact / requires action from our member charities, with links to further information where applicable. Please find below our latest summary:

Government

  • Government updates advice on £400 energy rebate – The Government has announced further information on the £400 energy rebate which is being provided to households to help with the cost of living crisis. Previously there had been concerns that the scheme would not support those who operated heat networks where a charity charges for energy through their WMC. However, the Government has now clarified that the payment will be made to those with:

    “Domestic electricity contracts from landlords where fixed energy costs are included in their rental charges. In these circumstances, landlords who resell energy to their tenants should pass the discounted payments on appropriately, in line with Ofgem rules to protect tenants.”

    Furthermore, they have confirmed that:

    “Further funding will be available to provide equivalent support of £400 for energy bills for the 1% of households who will not be reached through the EBSS [Energy Bill Support Scheme]. This includes those who do not have a domestic electricity meter or a direct relationship with an energy supplier, such as park home residents.”

    We are glad that the government has taken note of the pressure from The Almshouse Association and others on this issue. However, we are still disappointed that further information on how the scheme will be delivered has still not been provided. Those with standard electric tariffs will see a £66 discount applied to their energy bill in October and November, rising to £67 from December to March 2023. Further information can be found here.
  • New guidance for landlords on smoke and carbon monoxide alarm regulations – We recently published a piece on the new regulations for smoke and carbon monoxide alarms from October 1st 2022. The Government has since published a guidance booklet for landlords which can be found here.
  • Housing Ombudsman opens landlord survey – Housing Ombudsman members may wish to answer their current landlord survey which looks to see how landlords are using the complaints handling code, among other topics. The survey can be found here and closes on 26 August 2022

The Charity Commission

  • Commissions publishes guidance on upcoming changes to the Charities Act – The Charity Commission has published new guidance on the forthcoming changes to the Charity Act in Autumn 2022.

    This includes:
    • Paying trustees for providing goods to the charity
    • Making moral or ‘ex gratia’ payments from charity funds
    • Fundraising appeals that do not reach, or exceed, your target
    • Power to amend Royal Charters.

      Full details can be found here

RECORD OF PREVIOUS 2021/22 Policy and Governance updates:

Posted 8 August 22