UK to expand Charity Commission powers on extremism
On 10 March 2026, the UK Government set out plans to give the Charity Commission stronger, faster powers to act when a charity is suspected of promoting extremism. Ministers say the aim is to protect public trust in the sector while stopping a small number of organisations from abusing charitable status.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has asked officials to work with the regulator on speeding up investigations and decisions, and to look again at how appeals work. According to a GOV.UK press notice, this could include clearer routes to close down a charity where serious wrongdoing is found, with tighter timeframes so cases do not drift.
What would you notice in practice? The Government is considering mandatory ID verification for trustees, so every person responsible for a charity can be confirmed quickly and matched to official records. It also wants charity accounts to be filed and accessed digitally to make checks faster and improve transparency for donors and beneficiaries.
Local authorities could also gain stronger powers to issue fines and take action against unlicensed street fundraising. That means councils would have sharper tools to stop rogue collectors who operate without permission, while legitimate charities keep to the rules and can show their paperwork.
A separate consultation, due to open soon, would ‘road‑test’ automatic bans on people with a hate‑crime conviction from serving as trustees or senior managers. The same consultation will explore whether the Commission should be able to disqualify individuals where there is evidence they have promoted violence or hatred, even if there has not been a conviction for a specific offence.
This raises two important questions for all of us who care about civil society: how will ‘promoted violence or hatred’ be defined, and what evidence will count? The Government says it wants robust action against extremists. Clear wording, independent oversight and a workable appeals route will matter just as much to ensure fairness.
Officials point to recent pressures on the system. Since October 2023, the Charity Commission says it has opened more than 400 regulatory cases for hate speech and made around 70 referrals to the police where criminal offences may have been suspected. Those figures, published by the Government, are used to argue that faster enforcement is needed.
If you are a trustee or thinking about becoming one, this moment is a prompt to refresh the basics. Make sure your identity documents are up to date, your conflicts of interest are recorded, and your charity’s social media, events and partnerships are risk‑assessed and minuted. Good records help you show that decisions were careful and lawful.
For students and young readers, here is the civic literacy takeaway: charities are regulated because they receive tax advantages and public trust. The Charity Commission regulates charities in England and Wales. Stronger rules can protect that trust, but they also shape who gets to participate. Reading the detail of the consultation is how we all test whether new powers are proportionate.
What happens next? The Department for Culture, Media and Sport says the proposals sit within a wider government programme to renew the social contract by promoting national pride, setting clear expectations on integration and bringing communities together. Expect draft measures, responses from the sector, and then revised rules if ministers proceed.
When you read claims about ‘closing down charities’ online, pause and check the source. Look for the exact power being proposed, the test that must be met, who decides, and how a charity can appeal. These are the moving parts that protect both free expression and public safety, and they are the parts this plan seeks to reset.
Finally, a note on language. ‘Extremism’ is a broad term in everyday speech, but law needs precision. If you take part in the consultation, focus on definitions, evidence thresholds and time limits. That is where your response can help make the final rules clearer, fairer and easier for volunteers to follow.