Charities: Coronavirus

(asked on 30th April 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support charities, such as Coeliac UK, who are providing information to patients with dietary conditions; and what assessment they have made of the impact of the loss of income and the increase in demand for such charities’ services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.


Answered by
Baroness Barran Portrait
Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This question was answered on 11th May 2020

I recognise that many charities such as Coeliac UK are experiencing some particular pressures as a result of loss of income as a result of Covid 19, while demand for their services is unchanged or even increasing. The voluntary sector is playing a vital role in providing services for vulnerable people, and will continue to be an important vehicle for the UK’s Covid-19 response.

I thank Coeliac UK for continuing to work closely with gluten free food industry contacts to understand how coronavirus might affect the production and supply of gluten free food to make sure that the safety of people with coeliac disease is maintained.

In response to the pressures faced by charities and voluntary organisations a package of grant funds worth £750 million was announced on 8 April to support charities at risk of financial hardship. This is a substantial package of targeted support for charities on the frontline of responding to Coronavirus. £360 million is coming directly from government departments, and £370 million will be provided for smaller charities, including through a grant to the National Lottery Community Fund. More information on this second tranche of funding More details will be released in the coming days via the National Lottery Community Fund. The aim is to get funding to those in greatest need as soon as possible.

Charities also have access to cross-cutting support already announced including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which enables them to furlough staff, and a three-month VAT deferral.

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