20 March 2019
From 1 April 2019, the legal names of all trustees will be available to the public on the charity register unless a dispensation has been granted by the Charity Commission.
If a dispensation has already been granted, this will stay in force and there is no need to apply for another dispensation. However, if a dispensation is not currently in place, trustees or charities using public display names instead of legal names must apply to the Charity Commission by 25 March 2019 for the application to be considered before 1 April 2019.
Dispensations will not be granted automatically and must be applied for. The Charity Commission will consider applications on a case-by-case basis. If displaying a trustee’s legal name could put that individual in personal danger, either mentally or physically, a dispensation will usually be granted. However, if the charity is incorporated under the Companies Act 2006 and the trustees’ legal names are already publicly available on the Companies House register, or if trustees have not taken steps to protect their own anonymity, dispensations will not usually be granted.
If you have any concerns or would like assistance in applying for a dispensation, please contact your nearest UHY charity sector expert here. Alternatively, you can read more about the services we provide to charities and their trustees here.
