Membership Rates Increase FAQs

Individual Membership (concessionary rate) will be £12 a year / £1 a month. The concessionary rate is available to people who are on a low income / unwaged, retired and students in full-time education (‘Reduced’) and young people aged 14-18 (‘Youth’).

Family Membership is increasing to £48 per year / £4 per month. (Previously Members could sign up on a Family Membership, however this is something we are currently not actively recruiting on). Please note: There is only a standard rate for Family membership.

This applies to all payment methods (direct debit, cheque, debit/credit card) and payment frequencies (monthly, annual). 

The last membership rate rise was in 2013/2014.

Through your membership contribution, you help fund Amnesty International UK’s vital human rights work by making it possible for us to bring domestic and global human rights issues to the attention of the public, mobilising people across the country to take action to defend human rights. You also make it possible for us to retain our democratic status through our Annual General Meeting, where we welcome members to exercise their right to have a say on guiding our essential work going forward.

We cannot escape from the fact that the cost of this vital work increases over time, which is why we have found it necessary make the first increase to membership fees since that of 2013/14. That said, we do not want to exclude people from being members because of affordability, which is why we have retained a concessionary option.

We really value your membership of Amnesty International UK Section and your commitment to protecting human rights. You are the heart of Amnesty International UK Section and together, we achieve great wins for humanity and human rights. It is your membership that makes it possible for us to run campaigns in the UK to protect human rights, here and around the world. 

You will receive a letter in May 2019 confirming the new payments before they are taken.

We will send you a membership renewal notification by post.  

From 1 July 2019, this is set at £12 per year or £1 a month and now can be paid by direct debit, debit / credit card or cheque.  This concessionary rate is offered to anyone who is: 

• On a low income or unwaged; retired; a student in full-time education (‘Reduced’)
• A young person aged 14 to 18 (‘Youth’)

If you are eligible and wish to change to the concessionary rate, please email our Supporter Communications Team at membershiprates@amnesty.org.uk. They will be able to adjust your Individual Membership to the concessionary rate for you. If you are currently paying more than the concessionary rate and wish to continue to do so, the additional donation (the amount above the concessionary rate) to Amnesty International UK Section will help fund our human rights work and is greatly appreciated. 

You can find other ways to contact them here. 

• On a low income or unwaged; retired; a student in full-time education (‘Reduced’)
• A young person aged 14 to 18 (‘Youth’)

If you are not eligible for our concessionary rate, please email our Supporter Communications Team at membershiprates@amnesty.org.uk who can adjust your Individual Membership to the standard rate for you. You can find other ways to contact them here. 

• We offer a concessionary rate for Individual Membership (see ‘What are the new membership rates?’. Unfortunately, it is not possible to contribute less than this (£1 a month / £12 a year) and be a member of Amnesty International UK Section. If you need to cancel your membership, please contact our Supporter Communications Team. Please note that you must be a paying member of Amnesty International UK in order to vote at our AGM. While you will no longer be a member, your regular contribution will continue to be crucial in our fight for human rights. 
• You can donate Amnesty International UK Charitable Trust at an amount that suits you, as and when it suits you. You can do that here. 
• You can support Amnesty International UK with a financial contribution in many other ways, from shopping at our bookstores and online shop, to holding an event to raise funds, to remembering us in your Will. Visit our Get Involved page to find out more or contact us for further information. 
• You can take action for human rights in many ways, including adding your name to our online campaign actions or joining your local Amnesty group. Visit our Get Involved page to find out more or contact us for further information. 

If you are already paying the same amount as the appropriate new rate, this means that all your contribution is now for your membership (previously, it was paying for your membership plus a donation.) 

If you are already paying more than the appropriate new rate, it means that the new membership rate is covered and the amount you are donating has just reduced in proportion. 

From 20^th February, notice of the planned increase in membership rates was given on our online membership forms and advised to new members joining at less than the new rate by our Supporter Care team and fundraisers. Notification of the planned rate rise also appears in the Amnesty magazine.   

Amnesty International UK is composed of two distinct but related organisations: Amnesty International UK Section (company number 01735872) and Amnesty International UK Section Charitable Trust (charity registration number 1051681 in England and Wales and SC039534 in Scotland). All members are members of Amnesty International UK Section. 

The changes to the membership fees do not impact any direct debits you have set up with the Charitable Trust- these will remain the same. 

The new membership rates apply to all current members of Amnesty International UK Section and this applies to those members giving to the Charitable Trust too. 

If you are currently paying under the new rates, from 1^st July your payment will increase to be inline with the new fees. Any other direct debits/payments you have to Amnesty International UK will remain the same, so you will see a change in the overall total you are giving to Amnesty International UK.  

If you feel that because of the changes to the membership rates you cannot continue with either your membership or any other payments to Amnesty International UK as they are currently, please email our Supporter Communications Team at membershiprates@amnesty.org.uk who can make any adjustments for you. 

The majority of our members chose to give an extra contribution on top of their membership rate. Any additional contribution helps increase the amount of funds available for Amnesty International UK’s human rights work and is greatly appreciated.