The Charity Commission has admitted it could have done a better job at communicating the public benefit implications of the Charities Act for religious charities, after nearly 60 per cent of responses to its public benefit consultation came from such groups.

The Act has removed the presumption of public benefit for charities set up to advance education or religion or to relieve poverty, and requires every charity to explicitly demonstrate that their purposes are for the public benefit.

Under questioning by the public administration select committee (PASC), Commission chair Dame Suzi Leather (pictured) said that despite reassurances that the removal of the presumption of public benefit for religious organisations was not "a drive to secularise society", feedback from religious groups showed that it "hadn't done a good enough job" in getting this message across.