Upper Tribunal gives benevolent funds confirmation of public benefit

The Upper Tribunal has ruled that benevolent funds and other poverty relief charities that have memberships drawn from restricted groups of people do meet the public benefit test and can retain their charitable status.

The Attorney General asked the Tribunal to consider the question of whether charities whose beneficiaries are derived from a limited group still met the public benefit test in light of the changes in the 2006 Charities Act.

The Royal Medical Benevolent Fund was represented by the umbrella body the Association of Charitable Organisations (ACO). ACO Chief executive, Dominic Fox, welcomed the decision as “a victory for common sense”.

RMBF Chief Executive, Steve Crone, says “we are very pleased with the result. Every year we help hundreds of doctors and their families in times of great need and it is we are pleased to have further confirmation of our public benefit from the Upper Tribunal”.

Full analysis of the decision is available on the Third Sector website.