Charities & Social Enterprise UK-wide

Membership organisations compliance checklist

A confirmation checklist for membership organisations — trade bodies, unions, congregations, parties, clubs and societies. Work through the duties every organisation shares, then the registration items for what kind of organisation you are.

Guide summary

Work through this checklist for your membership organisation. First complete the duties that apply to all organisations, such as protecting data, insuring employees, managing health and safety, assessing fire safety, and avoiding discrimination. Then do the extra tasks for your type of organisation – trade union, political party, or charitable body.

  • Protect members' data and pay the ICO annual fee (unless exempt)
  • Insure employees with at least £5 million employers' liability cover
  • Manage health and safety for employees and visitors
  • Assess fire safety – carry out a fire risk assessment
  • Avoid discrimination under the Equality Act 2010
  • If a trade union: list with the Certification Officer and file annual return
  • If a political party: register with the Electoral Commission and report donations
  • If a charity: register with your charity regulator and meet trustee duties
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Confirm the obligations that apply to your organisation are in place. Start with section 1, which applies to every membership organisation, then complete the items for what kind of organisation you are. Where a duty differs by nation, the item says so.

Section 1 — Every membership organisation

  1. 1

    Protect members' data and pay the ICO fee

    Hold a lawful basis, and a special-category condition where membership reveals union membership, religious belief or political opinion. Unless exempt, register with the ICO and pay the annual fee. UK-wide.

  2. 2

    Insure your employees

    At least £5 million employers' liability cover from an authorised insurer if you employ anyone (Great Britain, with equivalent rules in Northern Ireland). Check volunteer cover.

  3. 3

    Manage health and safety

    Protect employees and others in your offices, halls and events under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Great Britain, with a corresponding order in Northern Ireland).

  4. 4

    Assess fire safety

    Carry out and maintain a fire risk assessment of your non-domestic premises (Fire Safety Order in England and Wales, separate regimes in Scotland and Northern Ireland).

  5. 5

    Avoid discrimination

    Comply with the Equality Act 2010 — including its rules for associations and clubs — in Great Britain, or Northern Ireland equality law.

Section 2 — Trade unions

  1. 1

    List with the Certification Officer

    Apply for entry on the list and, if eligible, a certificate of independence — listing is voluntary but carries statutory rights (Great Britain). Northern Ireland has its own Certification Officer.

  2. 2

    File the statutory annual return

    Accounts, membership numbers, officer details and political-fund information to the Certification Officer each year.

Section 3 — Political parties

  1. 1

    Register with the Electoral Commission

    Register the party to field candidates under its name, appoint a registered treasurer, keep accounting records, report donations and loans, and refuse impermissible donations. UK-wide.

Section 4 — Charitable bodies

  1. 1

    Register with your charity regulator

    Charity Commission for England and Wales (over the income threshold or as a CIO), OSCR in Scotland, or Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. Then meet trustee duties and file annual returns and accounts. Work through the detailed charity guides and the OSCR compliance checklist where relevant.

Related guides

The guides this checklist confirms, and the onward charity guides it routes to.