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Charity Data Breaches

Charities have the same security responsibilities as any other business that handles your personal data. Where a charity fails to keep data secure, this could amount to a data breach, with anyone affected potentially being able to bring forward a claim for compensation.

At Hayes Connor, our data breach specialists understand just how worrying it can be to learn that your data has been compromised following a charity data breach. No matter the surrounding circumstances, you will understandably be concerned about the potential impact it can have on you and your family.

While many people donate to charities and causes that are near to their heart, it is still essential that these organisations consistently meet their obligations with regards to protecting your sensitive data. Where your data is compromised, and falls into the wrong hands, the consequences can be very serious.

If your data has been exposed in a charity data breach, you may be entitled to claim compensation. This is something our specialist data breach solicitors can help you with.

Having established a strong track record of success, we know what it takes to make a successful charity data breach claim and what steps need to be taken to help put things right.

Our experienced, friendly team of charity data breach solicitors can take an objective view of your situation and advise you on whether you will have sufficient grounds to make a compensation claim. If you have any questions, or you are unsure whether your data has been mishandled, this is something we can investigate further for you.

Why work with Hayes Connor?

At Hayes Connor, we use our considerable resources to support victims of data breaches. We are dedicated to supporting people from all walks of life who may have been affected by data breaches. Using our wealth of combined experience, we advise on the best course of action to achieve a fair resolution for charity data breach compensation claims.

We are one of the UK’s largest and most experienced teams of dedicated data breach specialists. This means that we have an in-depth understanding of data breaches, their potential consequences, and the actions that need to be taken in order to help put things right.

No matter the surrounding circumstances, we always strive to make the data breach claims process as straightforward as possible. We help to reduce the stress and anxiety you may be facing, while also taking the steps to secure the maximum available compensation without the need for court proceedings.

See what our clients say about working with us

Start a charity data breach claim today

Think you are entitled to charity data breach compensation? Use our simple and secure online claim form to inform us of the details of your situation, and our team will be in touch shortly to let you know whether we can help.

To speak to a member of our team about pursuing charity data breach compensation, please call us on 0330 041 5131.

Charity data breach FAQs

Under UK GDPR, anyone who has suffered damages due to a data breach has a right to claim compensation from the responsible organisation. When we refer to ‘damages’, this can include both material damage (direct financial losses) and non-material damage (stress and anxiety caused by your personal data being exposed).

It is important to note that, while data breaches are reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), they cannot award compensation.

It is therefore down to the individual whose data has been breached to bring forward a claim against the organisation. Charity data breach compensation claims can often be resolved via an out-of-court settlement, or through court proceedings if a suitable agreement cannot be reached between both parties.

You may be able to make a claim if a charity has breached your data, even if you have not suffered a direct financial loss as a result of the breach.

Our expert data breach solicitors can work alongside you if you believe that your data has been breached by a charity. They can provide an objective assessment of the situation and what your chances are of achieving a successful outcome.

Yes, just like any other organisation, charities are legally obligated to follow UK GDPR rules. This is regardless of the relative size of the charity, or the work they carry out.

If a charity has suffered a data breach and your data has been exposed or compromised as a result, they are legally required to inform you. There have been many instances in the past where this notification has not been sent out when it should have been, leaving data breach victims in the dark about what has happened to their data.

There have also been situations where victims of data breaches have been correctly informed that their data has been exposed, but the message has been missed as it was only sent once and through the incorrect channels.

In our experience, we find that first time victims of data breaches often only learn that their data has been compromised after the responsible organisation or charity has been penalised by the ICO.

If you have any reason to believe that your data has been compromised (for example, you are experiencing an unexplained increase in the number of phishing emails you are receiving), but you are unsure how to find out for certain, this is something our charity data breach solicitors can support you with.

There are a number of potential reasons for charity data breaches, resulting in the loss of your personal information. Data breaches can be the result of simple human error, such as an email being accidentally sent to the wrong person by an employee or volunteer, or they can be caused by a cyber-attack against the charity’s internal systems.

Whatever the reason, if a charity has failed to keep your data secure, they could be liable to face penalties from the ICO and you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation.

The typical time limit for data breach claims is six years. This time limit is counted from the date you were first made aware that the data breach had occurred, or would have reasonably been expected to have been aware. Often, this will be when the charity first contacted you to inform you of the breach.

When initially instructed to support with a charity data breach, the first step for our experts will be to contact the responsible charity on your behalf, using any findings from the ICO to assist with our initial inquires.

Our charity data breach solicitors can then look to prove that a data breach has occurred and detail the sort of impact it has had on you and your loved ones. This is what we will use to place a value on the damages we can secure for your claim.

Charity data breaches can often be resolved without the need for court proceedings via a negotiated settlement. Should it not be possible to reach a negotiated settlement, it may be necessary to proceed to court to secure the compensation you are owed.

If court proceedings are the only logical way forward, we can provide robust representation to ensure that your rights are firmly protected and that you are able to achieve the best possible outcome for your case.

Start your charity data breach claim today

At Hayes Connor Solicitors, we can help you make a charity data breach claim, supporting you through the entire process and minimising the impact on you and your loved ones as much as possible.

You can find out more about our expertise and how we handle claims here. To have your claim assessed for free, you can use our secure online claim form. Or to speak to a member of our team, please do not hesitate to give us a call on 0330 041 5137.