UK Charity Commission News Scot

OSCR Website Unavailable 9 March 2026 for Essential Updates

OSCR has published a notice advising that its website may be unavailable at times on Monday 9 March 2026 due to essential updates being made to the Scottish Charity Register. The downtime may extend into the following days, and normal service is expected to resume by the end of that week. This notice is informational only and does not create any compliance obligations.

Guidance for Scottish Charities on Campaigning About Political Issues

OSCR published guidance on 8 April 2026 clarifying that Scottish charities may campaign on political issues during the 7 May 2026 Scottish Parliamentary election, provided such campaigning is consistent with their charitable purposes and complies with charity and electoral law. The guidance explains that charities cannot have supporting a political party as their purpose, but may engage with politicians, lobby MSPs, or organise petitions where this advances their charitable aims. Charity trustees must act in the interests of their charity and consider reputational implications of any campaigning activity.

Employment Law Changes for Scottish Charities, April 2026

OSCR is notifying Scottish charities that employ staff of new employment rights under the Employment Rights Act 2025, which is being implemented in phases. Key changes taking effect from April 2026 include statutory sick pay, paternity and unpaid parental leave, bereaved partner's paternity leave, collective redundancy rules, whistleblowing protections, simplified Fair Work enforcement, holiday pay records, and National Minimum and Living Wage updates. Further changes will follow across 2026 and 2027. While OSCR does not regulate employment law, charity trustees remain responsible for ensuring their charity complies with all relevant employer obligations.