Over 90 per cent of charity trustees think that the Charities Act 2006 has had little impact on charities.

Some 300 charity trustees were quizzed on Lord Hodgson's Charities Act Review and charity regulation by Rathbones.  

It found mixed attitudes to Lord Hodgson’s recommendation to increase the audit income threshold from £500,000 to £1m. Some 44.8 per cent felt raising thresholds for charity registrations, reporting and increasing audit requirements could potentially have a negative impact, compared to 35.6 per cent who expected these issues to have a positive effect.

However, in general, it found broad agreement that the Charities Act 2006 had had little impact on charities, with 93.3 per cent stating that it had had slight or no impact.

Rathbones also found that attitudes towards social investment were mixed. While 44.8 per cent may consider incorporating social investment within their charity’s investment policy in future, some 27.6 per cent did not anticipate doing so.

As part of the Charities Act Review, Lord Hodgson has advised the government to devise a standard social investment vehicle and amend the Financial Services Bill to provide a statutory and regulatory underpinning to social investment.