--- title: "Army Benevolent Fund rating & legitimacy | CharityCompare" description: "Is Army Benevolent Fund a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 68/100. Accounts 2025: income £39m · 59% on charitable activities. Reg 1146420." source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/army-benevolent-fund retrieved: 2026-08-18T01:34:59.707Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- Quick answer ## Is Army Benevolent Fund a good charity? Army Benevolent Fund scores 68/100 (3 stars, Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£39m total income, 59% of spending on charitable activities). This reflects financial transparency and stewardship on paper — not the real-world impact of its programmes. See the full breakdown. London · UK-wide · SW1W 9RB | Reg [1146420](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/army-benevolent-fund) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.soldierscharity.org/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1146420) Donate ## How can you give to Army Benevolent Fund? You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official Army Benevolent Fund form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form. [Donate](https://www.soldierscharity.org/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=1146420) ## What does Army Benevolent Fund do? Army Benevolent Fund is a registered charity (no. 1146420) working in armed forces across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 59% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 81 months of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been growing (≈34% a year). CharityCompare's Clarity Score rates the organisation only from public Charity Commission accounts — accountability, financial health, efficiency and community support — not the quality or impact of its programmes. Summarised from public filings — Army Benevolent Fund hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=army-benevolent-fund) **In short:** Army Benevolent Fund scores 68 out of 100 (3 stars). 59% average program spend (3-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below. ## What is Army Benevolent Fund? Army Benevolent Fund has a Clarity Score of 68 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Needs improvement). Charity Commission registration number 1146420. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Armed forces. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £39m, with 59% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 81 months of operating costs. 2 filing concern(s) noted on this profile. Scores are independent and based on official filings — not a donation recommendation. Data from [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 17 July 2026. Overall score 68/100 3★ · Needs improvement Cause spend 59% 3-yr avg · charitable activities Accountability 100/100 Finance beacon Income £39m Latest year 2025 Reserves 81 mo Months of running costs Accounts filing On time Charity Commission £3.4 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 44% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high ## How does Army Benevolent Fund compare? Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers Army Benevolent Fund scores higher than. Income band (£10m+)20thpercentile **Scores higher than 20% of 943 charities in its income band** · 68/100 vs 77 peer average (marker). Armed forces charities35thpercentile **Scores higher than 35% of 84 charities in this cause** · 68/100 vs 74 peer average (marker). ## How reliable is Army Benevolent Fund's data? Source Charity Commission (England & Wales) Accounts year 2025 Filing date 24 June 2026 Profile reviewed 17 July 2026 High confidence — complete filing data Scores reflect the latest annual accounts on the register. Clarity Score measures how clearly the charity accounts for money in those filings — not programme impact. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Sources: [Charity Commission for England and Wales](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), [Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator](https://www.oscr.org.uk/) and [Charity Commission for Northern Ireland](https://www.charitycommissionni.org.uk/). [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/). ## What is Army Benevolent Fund's Beacon report? Detailed accountability and finance metrics from UK regulator filings — structured for transparency in our four-beacon report. ### Accountability & Transparency Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies. 100/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Filing history (5 years) 100% on-time over five years = 15 pts · one late filing = 5 pts · two or more = 0 pts. | 100% | 15/15 pts | | Trustee oversight Three or more trustees on the register = 15 pts, scaled down for fewer (governance red flag below three). | 100% | 12 trustees · 15/15 pts | | Declared policies Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return. | 100% | 10/10 pts | ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 50/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Reserves (months of cash) 3–24 months = full marks, tapering on both sides · 0 months or 4+ years (hoarding) = 0 pts. | 0% | 81 month · 0/15 pts | | Income stability / growth +20% or more over the window = 10 pts · flat = 5 pts · −20% or worse = 0 pts, scaled between. | 100% | 10/10 pts · 3-year average | | Liabilities to assets 0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt. | 100% | 1% · 5/5 pts | ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 15/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 20% | 59% · 2/10 pts (3-year average) | | Fundraising efficiency ≤10p to raise £1 = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 40p or above (fundraising cost ÷ income). | 10% | 37p per £1 income · 1/10 pts (3-year average) | ### Community Support Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff. 100/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Volunteer-to-staff ratio Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between. | 100% | 1,000 volunteers / 84 staff · 10/10 pts | [How we calculate beacon scores →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ## What is Army Benevolent Fund's Clarity Score? 68/100 total · Needs improvement · 3 of 5 stars Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings. 100/100 Accountability & Transparency 50/100 Financial Health 15/100 Financial Efficiency 100/100 Community Support ### Accountability & Transparency Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies. 100/100 Filing history (5 years)15/15 pts Trustee oversight12 trustees · 15/15 pts Declared policies10/10 pts ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 50/100 Reserves (months of cash)81 month · 0/15 pts Income stability / growth10/10 pts · 3-year average Liabilities to assets1% · 5/5 pts ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 15/100 Program expense ratio59% · 2/10 pts (3-year average) Fundraising efficiency37p per £1 income · 1/10 pts (3-year average) ### Community Support Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff. 100/100 Volunteer-to-staff ratio1,000 volunteers / 84 staff · 10/10 pts ## How much does Army Benevolent Fund raise and spend? Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings | Category | Amount | % of spend | | --- | --- | --- | | Total income | £39m | — | | Total expenditure | £16m | — | | Charitable activities | £9.2m | 57% | | Fundraising | £6.8m | 43% | | Governance & admin | £178k | 1% | 57%On charitable activities ## Where does the money go? Latest accounts (2025) · £16m spent - Charitable activities57% · £9.2m - Fundraising43% · £6.8m - Governance1% · £178k ## What trust indicators does Army Benevolent Fund have? Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported. - ✓ Accounts filed on time up to date · last filing 24 June 2026 - ✓ Trustee board size (3–12) 12 trustees on the Charity Commission register - ✓ Workforce on register 84 employees · 1,000 volunteers (12:1 volunteer-to-staff) Fundraising Regulator Status not yet checked Separate from our financial scores — shows whether the charity follows the Code of Fundraising Practice. [Check Fundraising Regulator →](https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/members/) Official register Reg 1146420 Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission. [View on Charity Commission →](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1146420) ### Trustees & officers - Amanda Metcalfe since 2017 - Anthony Craufurd Scott since 2019 - ROWENA RUTH FELL since 2020 - RACHEL SARAH BOOTH Chair · since 2020 - DAVID CHARLES GEORGE LONDON since 2020 - Julie White since 2023 - Caitlin Murea Hayden since 2024 - Anna Katherine Lucy Sedgley since 2024 - Mark George Culmer since 2024 - John Stephen Miller since 2025 - Maj Gen Jonathan Edward Alexander Chestnutt since 2026 - Brig Clare Patricia Phillips since 2026 100 How we score charities +The Clarity Score is a 100-point rating from UK regulator filings (Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR and CCNI). Four pillars — Accountability & Transparency (40), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10) — each scored on a continuous scale, not pass/fail cutoffs. A statutory inquiry sets the score to 0 automatically. [Full methodology →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) Accountability & Transparency Scored from filings 40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15, scaling up to a board of three or more), declared policies (10). Financial Health Scored from filings 30 points — reserves (15, full marks 3–24 months, tapering on both sides), income stability (10), liabilities to assets (5, scaling down as debt rises). Financial Efficiency Scored from filings 20 points — program expense ratio and fundraising cost, each on a graduated scale (not a single cutoff). Kept at 20% of the total: financial-ratio scoring alone is not a reliable effectiveness signal (see "why not just an overhead ratio?" below). Community Support Scored from filings 10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data, scaling continuously up to a 2:1 ratio. Overall score Sum of all pillar points. Display stars use the same bands as the labels: 90–100 → 5★ Exceptional; 75–89 → 4★ Good; 60–74 → 3★ Needs improvement; 1–59 → 2★ Poor; 0 → not rated. ## How have Army Benevolent Fund's finances changed over five years? - Income - Spending - Cause spend Values in £ thousands · Cause spend plotted only when the filing discloses a split · Source: Charity Commission accounts ## What are the key facts about Army Benevolent Fund? Overall score 68/100 (3★) Income £39m Cause spend 59% of expenditure Reg number 1146420 Scope UK-wide Reserves 81 months Trustees 12 Accounts year 2025 Filing up to date ## How does Army Benevolent Fund compare, and where else can you look? [Compare Army Benevolent Fund with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=army-benevolent-fund) [More armed forces charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/armed-forces) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ### Where Army Benevolent Fund sits The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby. - [armed forces charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/armed-forces) - [Charities in London](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/london) - [armed forces charities in London](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/armed-forces/london) ### Similar armed forces charities Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score - [ROYAL NAVAL SAILING ASSOCIATION](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/royal-naval-sailing-association) 99/100 · £782k - [THE ROYAL AIR FORCES ASSOCIATION - CORPORATE BODY](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-royal-air-forces-association-corporate-body) 98/100 · £22m - [ARMY FLYING MUSEUM LIMITED](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/army-flying-museum-limited) 96/100 · £1.3m - [CARE OF POLICE SURVIVORS](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/care-of-police-survivors) 93/100 · £661k ## How can you share Army Benevolent Fund's rating? 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Free to use — a lightweight HTML badge or an embeddable score widget, each linking back to this independent profile and our [methodology](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology). BadgeScore widget [♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 68/100 ★★★★★](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/army-benevolent-fund) Lightweight HTML badge (no iframe) — paste anywhere ♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 68/100 ★★★★★ Copy code ## What red flags does Army Benevolent Fund have? ## Frequently asked questions Common questions about Army Benevolent Fund's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status. Is Army Benevolent Fund a good charity? + Army Benevolent Fund scores 68 out of 100 (3 stars — Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 59% of its spending goes to charitable activities and its accounts are up to date. That reflects how transparent and financially healthy it looks on paper — it does not measure the real-world impact of its work, so treat it as one factor alongside the cause you care about. CharityCompare never tells you where to donate. Is Army Benevolent Fund a legitimate charity? + Yes — Army Benevolent Fund is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1146420). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1146420. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact. What is Army Benevolent Fund's charity number? + Army Benevolent Fund's charity number is 1146420. Check that number on the official register (Charity Commission, OSCR or CCNI) or this CharityCompare profile before you donate — scammers sometimes reuse real numbers on fake appeals. What is Army Benevolent Fund's charity rating? + Army Benevolent Fund scores 68 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars — Needs improvement). The Clarity Score V1 sums four pillars from UK regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 pts), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10). Stars use the same bands as those labels — 90+ is 5★ Exceptional. It is not an impact ranking. Does Army Benevolent Fund have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Army Benevolent Fund. Instead you get a filing-based Clarity Score, cause spend, reserves and red flags such as late accounts (2 filing concern(s) noted on this profile). For formal complaints about a charity, contact the Charity Commission, OSCR, CCNI or the Fundraising Regulator as appropriate. How much of my donation reaches Army Benevolent Fund? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, 59% of Army Benevolent Fund's total spending went to charitable activities (3-yr avg across disclosed years). That is the closest official figure to "how much of your donation reaches the cause" — it is an average across all spending in the filing, not a pound-by-pound breakdown of an individual gift. What are Army Benevolent Fund's overheads? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 41% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 44% of total expenditure at Army Benevolent Fund. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Army Benevolent Fund's chief executive is paid — where disclosure rules apply, senior pay appears in the trustees' annual report on the Charity Commission register. How much income does Army Benevolent Fund receive? + Army Benevolent Fund reported £39m total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: growing. Are Army Benevolent Fund's accounts up to date? + Filing status: up to date (last filing 2026-06-24). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score. Where is Army Benevolent Fund based? + Army Benevolent Fund is listed at London · UK-wide · SW1W 9RB and operates UK-wide, focused on armed forces. How does CharityCompare score Army Benevolent Fund? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Army Benevolent Fund's regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 points — filing history, trustees, policies), Financial Health (30 — reserves, income trend, debt), Financial Efficiency (20 — cause spend and fundraising cost, on a graduated scale) and Community Support (10 — volunteer-to-staff ratio). An open statutory inquiry scores 0. The score measures reporting on paper, not programme impact. CharityCompare is free for donors, takes no commission on donations, and scores cannot be bought. How often is this page updated? + This profile was last updated on 17 July 2026 from the latest UK regulator data available to CharityCompare, and Army Benevolent Fund's most recent accounts cover 2025. Scores and figures refresh whenever we re-ingest the register, so the page reflects our latest data pull rather than a one-off review.