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Poverty and hardship charities in the UK

There are 13,261 registered charities in England and Wales working on poverty and hardship. 8,110 of them (61%) are small, with an income under £100,000 a year.

Updated from the Charity Commission register.

Poverty and hardship charities give grants to people in need, help with debt and benefits, hand out food, clothes and furniture, and help people into work. Some have quietly helped their own parish for hundreds of years, and many are run entirely by volunteers.

Wanting to help someone through a hard time says a lot about you. A local charity can often tell you exactly how a gift was used, like a cooker, a school uniform or a month's gas. If you find one you trust, stay with it.

Find the poverty and hardship charities that fit you

Answer a few short questions and we'll pick the few that really fit what matters to you, with the reasons why. It takes a couple of minutes, and we never ask for any contact details.

Get my personal shortlist

Grants for people in need

2,978 of these charities say this is part of their work. Here are a few of them.

  1. Global Poverty Relief

    LE5 · Small charity, income under £100k

    The prevention or relief of poverty, or financial hardship of orphans, widows and other people in need, anywhere in the world by providing, assisting and advising in the provision of food, housing, education and…

    Their website Charity Commission record

  2. Rooted Finance Limited

    E2 · Income £100k to £1m

    Prevention and relief of poverty through the provision of impartial debt advice to members of the public Advancement of the education of the public in the subject of debt and personal financial management Assistance and…

    Their website Charity Commission record

  3. Sierra Leone Poverty Relief

    WD23 · Income under £10k

    The advancement of Education of Sierra Leoneans in Sierra Leone and elsewhere in the world. The relief of financial hardship of persons in Sierra Leone. The charity pays for vital health provision, sponsors children in…

    Their website Charity Commission record

  4. The Hub@ba15

    BA15 · Small charity, income under £100k

    The relief or prevention of poverty or financial hardship and the relief of sickness amongst the residents of the Bradford on Avon Community Area (as defined by Wiltshire Council) without distinction of age, gender,…

    Their website Charity Commission record

Debt and money advice

293 of these charities say this is part of their work. Here are a few of them.

  1. Compassion Acts

    PR8 · Income £100k to £1m

    Provide emergency food for adults and children within Trussell's guidelines. Debt advice through auspices of Community Money Advice. Food Pantries for those on low incomes Benefits advice and act as advocates at…

    Their website Charity Commission record

  2. Navigate

    TA6 · Income £100k to £1m

    Navigate CIO provides specialist money and debt advice and financial education services to individuals and families facing financial hardship and exclusion by reason of youth, age, ill health, disability, financial…

    Their website Charity Commission record

  3. Money Advice St Neots

    PE19 · Small charity, income under £100k

    The relief of financial hardship through the provision of debt counselling and other money advice services

    Charity Commission record

  4. Money Advice South Tyneside

    NE32 · Small charity, income under £100k

    The object of the CIO is to provide support of the relief of financial hardship in South Tyneside and neighbouring areas by providing a range of impartial money advice and support services to people in financial…

    Charity Commission record

Food, clothes and essentials

1,552 of these charities say this is part of their work. Here are a few of them.

  1. Three Dogs

    LA4 · Small charity, income under £100k

    Three Dogs support people who are struggling with the cost of living crisis, are on benefits or low income or experiencing homelessness AND have responsibility for a dog or dogs. We provide food , bedding and equipment…

    Charity Commission record

  2. Furnichurch

    LN12 · Small charity, income under £100k

    The prevention or relief of poverty through the supply of second hand furniture ( free to those in desperate need ) and food from the community Food Larder ( based at and run by Furnichurch) to people in the LN 12 area…

    Their website Charity Commission record

  3. Powys Pets in Need

    SY17 · Small charity, income under £100k

    We donate free pet food Short term to individuals who are on low income and financial hardship and who live in Powys

    Their website Charity Commission record

  4. Furniture Recycling Project

    GL1 · Income £100k to £1m

    1. The prevention or relief of poverty and financial hardship by re-use, recycling and supplying of items of furniture, electrical appliances and other household items to persons in need2. The advancement of education…

    Their website Charity Commission record

Skills and getting into work

1,501 of these charities say this is part of their work. Here are a few of them.

  1. Raise Limited

    L5 · Income £100k to £1m

    We provide welfare rights and debt advice and casework assistance, and financial inclusion advice by home visit and telephone to Housing Association tenants in Merseyside, and to other residents of Liverpool, and…

    Their website Charity Commission record

  2. Gl Communities

    GL4 · Income £100k to £1m

    We deliver services in areas of deprivation in Gloucestershire. Current activities : Money Advice Services, General welfare benefits advice, Community education, Learning disability well-being centre, and programmes…

    Their website Charity Commission record

  3. Rame Community Fund

    PL10 · Income under £10k

    The relief of financial hardship among individuals/families, who live/work on the Rame Peninsula, SE Cornwall, by making grants of money or paying for items/services which they could not otherwise afford due to lack of…

    Their website Charity Commission record

  4. Al-foyz Trust

    B9 · Small charity, income under £100k

    The prevention or relief of poverty or financial hardship anywhere in the villages in bangladesh by providing or assisting in the provision of education, training, healthcare projects and all the necessary support…

    Charity Commission record

Small charities worth knowing

8,110 poverty and hardship charities have an income under £100,000 a year. Most are run by a few people, often volunteers, and few of them can afford to advertise. Here are some of them, each with recent accounts on the register.

  1. Har Sewa Medical Trust

    DA11 · Small charity, income under £100k

    a) The relief of those in need, by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship, otherdisadvantage or through natural disasters.b) The advancement of education by providing free education and…

    Their website Charity Commission record

  2. Acts 4 Sharing

    BH24 · Small charity, income under £100k

    To advance the Christian faith To prevent and relieve poverty initially in Hampshire and its neighbouring counties and in Latvia To relieve financial hardship by the recycling and provision of furniture, clothes etc

    Their website Charity Commission record

  3. Burke Bequest

    SY2 · Income under £10k

    Relieving the charitable needs of the elderly, infirm and disabled of the congregation of St Peters including those suffering from financial hardship, sickness, poor health and both physical and mental disability. These…

    Their website Charity Commission record

  4. Freshford and Limpley Stoke Community Association

    BA2 · Small charity, income under £100k

    (a)providing or assisting to provide facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation or other leisure time occupation(b)the relief of need particularly amongst those who are elderly, disabled, young or…

    Charity Commission record

  5. The Community Action Trust for Those Suffering Poverty in Zimbabwe

    GL14 · Small charity, income under £100k

    Assisting vulnerable elederly and children with special needs in all communities and provinces of Zimbabwe

    Their website Charity Commission record

  6. Siddiqiyah Soharwardiyah Trust

    MK40 · Income under £10k

    The prevention or relief of poverty or financial hardship anywhere in the world by supporting victims of natural or other kinds of disaster in the form of money (or other means deemed suitable)for persons, bodies,…

    Their website Charity Commission record

  7. The Dorcas Dress Project

    OX29 · Small charity, income under £100k

    The object of the CIO is the relief of financial hardship anywhere in the world by providing sewing equipment, training and support to enable individuals to generate a sustainable income and be self-sufficient and to do…

    Their website Charity Commission record

  8. The Mark Skinner Campaign

    IP27 · Small charity, income under £100k

    For the public benefit in Norfolk and Suffolk, the relief of those in need by reason of youth, age, ill health, disability, financial hardship, or other disadvantage and the furtherance of such purposes as are…

    Charity Commission record

Find the poverty and hardship charities that fit you

Answer a few short questions and we'll pick the few that really fit what matters to you, with the reasons why. It takes a couple of minutes, and we never ask for any contact details.

Get my personal shortlist

Poverty and hardship charities by town

The towns and cities with the most poverty and hardship charities, counted by where each charity is registered. London's number includes national charities with a head office there.

Somewhere else? Search by postcode.

Questions people ask

How many poverty and hardship charities are there in the UK?

There are 13,261 registered charities in England and Wales working on poverty and hardship. 8,110 of them (61%) are small, with an income under £100,000 a year. The figures come from the Charity Commission register for England and Wales, last refreshed in October 2026. Scotland and Northern Ireland keep their own registers, so their charities aren't counted here.

What do poverty and hardship charities do?

Going by what they say about themselves on the register, the most common kinds of work are grants for people in need (2,978 charities), food, clothes and essentials (1,552 charities), and skills and getting into work (1,501 charities). Many do more than one of these.

Which poverty and hardship charity should I give to?

The one that fits what matters to you. Tell us a little about it and we'll pick the few charities that fit you best, with the reasons why. It's free, takes a couple of minutes, and we never ask for any contact details. No charity can pay to appear on your list.

Why give to a small charity working on poverty and hardship?

Small charities run on very little, so a regular gift, however modest, helps them plan ahead. They're often rooted in one place, so you can get to know the people doing the work and see what your help does. Every charity listed on this page has an income under £1 million a year and has sent the Charity Commission accounts in the last two and a half years.

How can I check a charity is genuine?

Look it up on the Charity Commission register by its name or charity number. Its page there shows what it does, who its trustees are and its latest accounts. Every charity on this page links straight to its register record.

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