When Does “Benefit” Become Harm?

Examining the public benefit test for UK charities

The UK government is clear: to be a charity, an organisation must provide public benefit. But what happens when a charity claims to help one group while actively harming another?

The Rules Are Simple

According to official UK government guidance, charities must meet a “public benefit requirement” with two key aspects.

First, the benefit aspect: the charity’s purpose must be beneficial, and crucially, “any detriment or harm that results from the purpose must not outweigh the benefit.”

Second, the public aspect: the purpose must benefit the public in general, or a sufficient section of the public.

This is not complicated, if a charity’s activities cause more harm than good, it fails the test. The Charity Commission’s own guidance makes this explicit.

“A purpose must be beneficial. Any detriment or harm that results from the purpose (to people, property or the environment) must not outweigh the benefit.”Gov.uk, Public Benefit: Rules for Charities

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