Finance Score: 13
Governance Score: 9
Support Score: 12
  • Good reserves management: +3
  • Strong growth: +2
  • Fundraising costs low: +3
  • Future income +5
  • Good trustee age range: +3
  • Dynamic board: +3
  • Gender balanced board: +3
  • Overall weighted support: +12
Overall GiG Score: 34 ?

DISABILITY LAW SERVICE

Disability Law Service provides a high quality legal service for disabled people, their families, enablers and carers. Charity also provides specialist information and advice and training to other disability organisations and service providers.
Analysis by Giving is Great

Positives:

  • Reserves management has been consistently within official guidelines
  • There has been strong growth in spending over the last 5 years
  • Fundraising costs are unusually low relative to funds raised
  • A significant proportion of recent income was derived from major grant makers including the Government and there are significant future grants due to be received
  • The Board appears to be well diversified in terms of age and gender and dynamic in terms of composition

Regulatory & Governance issues to consider:

  • This charity is not recognised by HMRC for Gift Aid according to its latest published return

Financial Data ?

Income & Spending ?
Sources of Income ?
Y/E Income
£k
Spending
£k
Surplus/
Deficit £k
Fundraising
Cost £k
Total
Funds £k
Unrestricted
Funds £k
Mths
Rsrvs
Staff Volun-
teers
31/05/23£850£716£133£21£394£3836.41510
31/05/22£656£669£-13£20£260£2574.61510
31/05/21£624£594£30£17£273£2304.61310
31/05/20£572£553£20£14£243£2064.51120
31/05/19£524£471£52£15£223£1273.2920
31/05/18£389£342£47n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/17£345£325£21n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/16£287£263£24n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/15£252£272£-20n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/14*£323£351£-28n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/13£401£520£-119n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/12£642£604£38£41£246£1663.3140
31/05/11£642£605£37£42£208£2074.1140
31/05/10£699£743£-45£52£171£1562.5170
31/05/09£695£658£38£49£216£1402.5160
31/05/08£537£487£50£32£178£1142.8100
31/05/07£449£439£10n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/06£447£453£-6n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/05£425£433£-8n/an/an/an/an/an/a
31/05/04£436£400£36n/an/an/an/an/an/a

Financial Ratios
Fundraising Costs/Relevant Income: 2.5%
Fundraising Costs/Total Spending: 3%
Highest pay band: Less than £60,000
Liabilities/Assets: 15%
Liabilities/Income: 8%
Unrestricted Funds/Total Funds: 97%
Reserves/Spending: 6.4 months
Net Current Assets/Spending: 7 months
Quick Ratio: 1.5
Asset Split ?
Balance Sheet History
Established: 44 years

www.dls.org.uk

advice@dls.org.uk

02077919800

Charity Commission for England and WalesCompanies HouseFacebookInstagramX
UN SDGs
?
Listed activities
  • Disability
GiG Classification
  • Legal & financial advice
How it operates
  • Provides advocacy/advice/information
Where it operates
  • Throughout England And Wales,
Who it helps
  • People With Disabilities

Who supports them? ?

Donations from Grant Makers ?

We have details on the following donations. Multi-year donations are allocated to the years for which they are earmarked.

Major supporters in last 5 years
Three Guineas Trust£518,000
Trust for London£310,286
Esmee Fairbairn£210,000
The Legal Education Foundation£187,789
Access to Justice Foundation£152,500
City Bridge Trust£100,000
AB Charitable Trust£50,000
London Legal Support Trust£30,000
Specific Donations
Amount When
Months
To be used for
Three Guineas Trust - Welfare rights advice service
£150,000 16/07/2024
18
Provision of welfare rights advice to Disabled people including outreach and training
London Legal Support Trust - Centres of Excellence 2023
£10,000 28/12/2023
Long term core funding for specialist free legal advice organisations, along with in-kind help and support with ongoing development. Aiming to support a sustainable and robust specialist advice ....more
Trust for London - Disability Law Service
£140,444 24/08/2023
The funding is for specialist legal advice and assistance for disabled Londoners experiencing discrimination, threats and insecurity in the workplace, and to support them in obtaining and retaining ....more
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Disability Law Service
£10,000 30/01/2023
Towards unrestricted core costs as a Cost of Living Uplift
London Legal Support Trust - Centres of Excellence 2022
£10,000 22/12/2022
Long term core funding for specialist free legal advice organisations, along with in-kind help and support with ongoing development. Aiming to support a sustainable and robust specialist advice ....more
Trust for London - Disability Law Service
£5,450 29/09/2022
This is a cost of living uplift for grant reference 360G-trustforlondon-MAIN-S2-04.02.2020-8421
Access to Justice Foundation - Help Accessing Legal Support (HALS)
£52,500 13/09/2022
Help Accessing Legal Support (HALS) is a programme of The Access to Justice Foundation with the Ministry of Justice. We are working with organisations to sustain and improve access to early social ....more
National Lottery Community Fund - Website accessibility
£8,475 19/08/2022
The funding will be used to upgrade the website providing legal assistance and advice to disabled people and their families/carers. The project aims to ensure disabled people have access to an ....more
Three Guineas Trust - Welfare benefits legal advice service, including training community organisations.
£184,000 04/07/2022
For the welfare benefits legal advice service, including training community organisations.
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to Disability Law Service
£20,000 17/06/2022
An unrestricted grant of £20,000 (Year 3 of 3 years). Disability Law Service provides free legal help, advice and representation for disabled people and their carers, and related policy work.
The Legal Education Foundation - JFF Host 2022
£96,000 15/06/2022
A grant to Disability Law Service to fund one Justice First Fellowship as part of cohort 9. Co-funded by Trust for London.
London Legal Support Trust - Centres of Excellence 2021
£10,000 14/12/2021
Long term core funding for specialist free legal advice organisations, along with in-kind help and support with ongoing development. Aiming to support a sustainable and robust specialist advice ....more
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to Disability Law Service
£15,000 14/06/2021
An unrestricted grant of £15,000 (This grant is renewable - year 2 of up to 3 years). Disability Law Service provides free legal help, advice and representation for disabled people and their carers, ....more
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Disability Law Service
£200,000 21/10/2020
48
Towards Unrestricted core costs to increase access to justice for disabled people experiencing discrimination
Trust for London - Disability Law Service
£4,392 19/08/2020
6
The funding is for adaptations to the DLS office to enable social distancing and a safe working environment for staff in the context of the COVID19 pandemic.
Access to Justice Foundation - Joint Initiative Flexible COVID-19 Grant
£100,000 16/07/2020
A flexible grant as part of wave 1 of the Community Justice Fund. A pooled fund to support the specialist legal welfare advice sector in its response to COVID19
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to Disability Law Service
£15,000 02/07/2020
An unrestricted grant of £15,000 (This grant is renewable - year 1 of up to 3 years). DLS provides free legal help, advice and representation for disabled people and their carers, and related policy ....more
Three Guineas Trust - Welfare benefits legal advice service
£184,000 13/06/2020
For the welfare benefits legal advice service.
Trust for London - Disability Law Service
£160,000 10/06/2020
36
The funding is for specialist legal advice and assistance for disabled Londoners experiencing discrimination, threats and insecurity in the workplace and to support them in obtaining and retaining ....more
The Legal Education Foundation - JFF Host 2020
£91,789 13/03/2020
A grant to Disability Law Service to fund one Justice First Fellowship as part of cohort 7. Co-funded by AB Charitable Trust.
City Bridge Trust - Grant to Disability Law Service
£100,000 20/01/2020
60
£100,000 over five years (£30,000; £25,000; £20,000; £15,000; £10,000) towards core costs. This funding is for a maximum of one third of the organisation's unfunded core costs, reflecting the ....more
Henry Smith Charity - Grant to Disability Law Service
£90,000 12/12/2018
36
towards three years' running costs of an organisation providing information and advice on financial and legal entitlements for disabled people in London
National Lottery Community Fund - Accessible Justice for Disabled People
£10,000 28/02/2018
12
This project will audit and develop the group’s website to ensure the advice and support included on it is accessible for all disabled people, who will be involved through consultation and feedback.
The Clothworkers Foundation - Grant to Disability Law Service
£5,000 06/12/2017
purchase of IT equipment and furniture for a charity which works with disabled people in London
AB Charitable Trust - A grant to Disability Law Service
£15,000 31/10/2017
£15,000 towards core costs. Disability Law Service provides free legal advice and representation for disabled people, covering employment, community care and welfare benefits.
Trust for London - Disability Law Service
£150,000 07/06/2017
36
The funding is to support the employment service to enable us to continue to provide specialist assistance and advice to hundeds of disabled Londoners. We will employ a senior solicitor experienced ....more
Three Guineas Trust - Disability benefits legal advice
£240,000 10/01/2017
Towards re-establishing a disability benefits legal advice and representation service.
Masonic Trust - Core funding
£5,000 01/01/2017
Free legal advice for people with disabilties.
AB Charitable Trust - Access to justice for disabled people
£12,000 26/04/2016
£12,000 towards the salary of a Volunteer Coordinator
Esmee Fairbairn - Grant to Disability Law Service
£130,000 18/11/2015
48
Towards unrestricted core costs while the organisation stabilises and continues to deliver legal advice and representation to disabled people in need.
Lloyds Bank Foundation - Grant to Disability Law Service
£40,000 29/10/2012
the salary of the Discrimination and Employment Caseworker and project costs
Show more rows

Data sourced from Donors via 360 Giving

How is it governed?

Trustees (6)
Current Trustees appointed
Gender Split

Age Range of Trustees: 26-67
  • DR ALEXANDER WOOLFSON, Occupation: Researcher/Journalist
  • EDWARD JOHN RICHARDS Appointed: 2020, Occupation: Director
  • ELEANOR HASSALL Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Trustee
  • HELEN JULIA MADELEINE MCFATRIDGE Appointed: 2022, Occupation: Trustee
  • MARK NEWBERY Appointed: 2024, Occupation: Consultant
  • VIJAY SAMTANI Appointed: 2016, Occupation: Manager
Legal constitution
  • Charitable company registered in England & Wales on 27/10/1980, number: 280805
  • Registered at Companies House on 11/01/1979, number: 01408520
Gift Aid
  • NOT registered with HMRC for Gift Aid
Policies in force
  • Bullying and harassment policy and procedures
  • Complaints handling
  • Complaints policy and procedures
  • Conflicting interests
  • Financial reserves policy and procedures
  • Internal charity financial controls policy and procedures
  • Internal risk management policy and procedures
  • Paying staff
  • Risk management
  • Safeguarding policy and procedures
  • Safeguarding vulnerable beneficiaries
  • Serious incident reporting policy and procedures
  • Social media policy and procedures
  • Trustee conflicts of interest policy and procedures
  • Trustee expenses policy and procedures
  • Volunteer management
Filing Record
20 returns made; AR14: 28 days late,
Main office

Disability Law Service
17 Oval Way
London
SE11 5RR

Objectives

For the public benefit and for general charitable purposes according to the laws of England and Wales and in particular, but not exclusively, for the promotion of equality, diversity, independence, and health of disabled people including, but not exclusively, by way of: the provision of free legal and other advice to disabled people; the provision of free legal representation for disabled people; the provision of free legal and other advice to those in poverty where to do so is part of a wider project that benefits disabled people; advocating for changes in law or policy or the way in which they are implemented where to do so will advance the interests of disabled people; the education of others about disabled people.

Defined Area of Benefit:

UNDEFINED

Data Sources

Charity Commission for England and Wales
360 Giving

Tips for Selecting Charities

Which areas of philanthropy are most effective?
The text of this post is taken from an article on the Effective Altruism forum. It suggests that you can achieve the most impact by supporting causes that fight extreme poverty, improving animal welfare....more
Our Top Tips for Philanthropy
Here are some ideas to help you gain more satisfaction from your philanthropy and confidence that the causes you have selected are impactful. Engage your brain, as well as your heart You....more
How to become a Philanthropist
In this Blog we outline a strategy to help people who are new to philanthropy and for those who feel dissatisfied with the impact they are having. Effective philanthropy is immensely rewarding for donors,....more

Giving is Great