Charity donors support increase in Gift Aid
14 October 2020
Four in five people who have used Gift Aid on a recent donation support a temporary increase in the tax benefit for charities, according to a new survey.
Research by the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) revealed substantial support for temporarily increasing the value of Gift Aid to help charities recover from the coronavirus crisis. Eighty-four percent (84%) of donors who had used Gift Aid on a donation in the last four weeks or over the previous 12 months supported the change.
The polling by CAF also signalled that Government incentives, such as Gift Aid and match funding, play a crucial role in increasing amounts given to good causes.
A coalition of leading voices in UK charities has recently called for a temporary increase in Gift Aid relief to help charities of all sizes trying to cope with the impact of the pandemic. Charities have begun to announce cuts to their services and jobs losses as they are affected by a fall in donations due to the crisis.
The proposed Gift Aid change would mean that a £100 donation from a UK tax payer would increase to £133.33 for the charity once Gift Aid had been claimed. This compares to £125.00 as is currently the case. As a result, the Gift Aid claimed on every eligible donation would increase by one-third, up from the current one-quarter, potentially bringing in an extra £450m. The group have called for the increase to be in place for two years.
Daniel Ferrell-Schweppenstedde, Policy Manager at CAF, said:
"Charity donors clearly recognise the value of Gift Aid and support the call for a temporary increase.
"This change would help charities large and small as they continue to suffer a drop in donations and struggle to cope with the ongoing effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
"In addition to the financial help already announced, it is clear that donors want Government to consider other ways to support the vital work of charities during this challenging time."
MPs supporting the campaign include Bob Blackman, MP for Harrow East; Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham; and Neale Hanvey, MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath.
Notes to Editors
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1,107 people with the sample of Gift Aid users totalling 360 people. Fieldwork was undertaken between 22nd and 25th September 2020. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 16+).
The initial Gift Aid Emergency Relief proposal was made by CAF, IoF, CFG, NCVO and Charity Tax Group with the support of other membership bodies such as Small Charities Coalition, Charity Retail Association and ACEVO. Since then, more than 500 supporters, including household brands such as Age UK, British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK, Diabetes UK, Macmillan Cancer Support, NSPCC, RNLI, Royal British Legion and Marie Curie have joined the growing coalition.
Over 70,000 charities claimed Gift Aid in 2019 and over 120,000 charities are known to be registered for Gift Aid and the Gift Aid Donations scheme.
Download the full Gift Aid briefing paper
Gift Aid Emergency Relief FAQs
A full list of the charities supporting this coalition can be found here.
Find out more about the campaign here.