Best Software for Disability Charities in the UK (2026)

Disability charities in the UK support some of the most complex, person-centred work in the third sector. Whether your organisation helps people with learning disabilities build independent living skills, supports those with physical disabilities to access employment, or advocates for the rights of neurodivergent individuals, you need software that can keep up with the reality of that work — not slow it down.

This guide compares the best CRM and case management platforms for disability charities in 2026, explains what features matter most for this sector, and helps you choose the right system for your organisation's size and specialism.

TL;DR: Disability charities need software that is accessible (WCAG-compliant), supports person-centred planning, tracks outcomes like independence and wellbeing, manages safeguarding, and handles referrals across health, social care, and voluntary sector partners. Plinth offers free AI-powered case management built for UK charities, with features specifically suited to disability support work — including AI case notes, partner referral tracking, outcome surveys, and impact reporting. Other strong options include Charitylog, Lamplight, and Views, depending on your organisation's size and focus.

What you'll learn: Which software platforms are best suited to disability charities, what features to prioritise, and how to evaluate options based on your service type and budget.

Who this is for: Managers, trustees, and operational leads at disability charities, learning disability services, advocacy organisations, and disability support providers.

Why Disability Charities Need Specialist Software

Short answer: Disability charities operate in a uniquely complex environment that sits across health, social care, education, and advocacy. Generic CRM software rarely handles the person-centred, multi-agency, outcome-focused nature of disability support work.

There are approximately 16.8 million people with a disability in the UK — around 25% of the total population, according to the House of Commons Library (2023/24). That figure has increased by 41% in the past decade, with the sharpest rises among younger age groups: disability prevalence among 16-to-24-year-olds has more than doubled from 8% to 18%.

This rising need translates directly into greater demand on disability charities. An estimated 1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability, according to Mencap, yet only 5.1% of adults with a learning disability known to their local authority are in paid employment. The gap between need and provision is widening, and disability charities are often the organisations filling it.

Meanwhile, the financial pressures on disabled people themselves are severe. Scope's Disability Price Tag 2025 research found that disabled households face an average of £1,095 per month in extra costs — and for the poorest households, that figure rises to £1,402, equivalent to 202% of their income after housing costs. The charities supporting these individuals need systems that can demonstrate outcomes to funders, manage safeguarding responsibilities, and coordinate with multiple agencies — all without adding to an already overburdened workforce.

The number of people entitled to receive a disability benefit in Great Britain has risen from 4.4 million in 2005 to 6.9 million in 2025 (10.8% of the population). For disability charities, this means more referrals, more complex caseloads, and greater scrutiny from commissioners and funders. Software that was adequate five years ago may no longer meet these demands.

What to Look for in Disability Charity Software

Not all CRM or case management platforms are designed with disability services in mind. Here are the features that matter most.

Accessibility and WCAG Compliance

This is non-negotiable. If your software is not accessible to your staff, volunteers, and — where applicable — your beneficiaries, it undermines the values your organisation exists to uphold. Look for platforms that meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards at minimum, support screen readers, offer keyboard navigation, and allow customisable text sizes and colour contrast.

Person-Centred Planning and Pathways

Disability support is rarely linear. A person may be working towards multiple goals simultaneously — developing independent living skills, managing a health condition, building social connections, and accessing education or employment. Your software needs to support individualised pathways with flexible goal-setting, not rigid workflows designed for transactional services.

Outcome and Progress Tracking

Funders increasingly expect evidence of outcomes rather than just outputs. For disability charities, this means tracking measures like independence levels, wellbeing scores, skill acquisition, community participation, and quality of life indicators over time. The software should make it straightforward to collect, store, and report on these measures without requiring a data analyst.

Safeguarding

Disability charities work with people who may be at heightened risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Your case management system must support safeguarding workflows — including concern logging with severity levels, alert mechanisms, chronological records, and audit trails that meet regulatory expectations.

Multi-Agency Referral Management

Disability services sit at the intersection of the NHS, local authority social care, education providers, employment services, housing, and other voluntary organisations. Managing referrals in and out — and tracking what happens after a referral is made — is essential. A platform with a dedicated partner or referral management module will save significant time compared to spreadsheets and email chains.

Carer and Family Involvement

For many disability charities, particularly those supporting people with learning disabilities, family members and carers are integral to the support plan. The software should allow you to record family relationships, log carer involvement, and — where appropriate — share relevant information with family contacts.

Funder Reporting

Most disability charities rely on a mix of grant funding, local authority contracts, and charitable income. Each funder has different reporting requirements. A good platform will allow you to generate reports against specific funder criteria without manually compiling data from multiple sources.

Software Comparison for Disability Charities

Here is a practical comparison of the platforms most commonly used by disability charities in the UK.

Platform-by-Platform Breakdown

Plinth

Plinth is a UK-built charity CRM with a free tier that includes unlimited users and AI-powered features designed for frontline delivery organisations. For disability charities, the most relevant capabilities are:

• AI Case Management: Create individualised pathways for each person you support, with built-in Theory of Change frameworks, concern level tracking, and flexible goal-setting. This is particularly useful for disability services where each person's journey is different.
• AI Case Notes: Record conversations (with consent) and let AI transcribe and structure them into formatted case notes. Citizens Advice teams using this feature have reported a 50%+ reduction in time spent on case note administration — time that can be redirected to direct support.
• Partner CRM: Track referrals to and from NHS services, local authority social care, other charities, and specialist providers. This is critical for disability charities that operate within multi-agency networks.
• Surveys: Collect validated outcome measures from beneficiaries, carers, and staff. Use pre-built or custom survey instruments to track wellbeing, independence, satisfaction, and other outcomes over time.
• Impact Reporting: Plinth's AI agent, Pippin, generates narrative impact reports directly from your programme data — ideal for producing funder reports, trustee updates, and commissioner returns without days of manual compilation.
• Volunteering: Manage volunteer recruitment, scheduling, and activity tracking — relevant for disability charities that rely on volunteer befrienders, advocates, or support workers.

Camden Disability Action in Camden, London, has used Plinth since April 2022 for referral networks, case management, and monitoring and reporting. The organisation has supported 262 clients and organised 1,362 sessions. Charlie Callanan, Project Manager, says: "It's just really easy to use and accessible."

Plinth's free tier makes it accessible to small disability charities that cannot afford enterprise CRM pricing but still need professional-grade case management.

Charitylog

Charitylog is one of the most widely used CRM platforms in the UK charity sector, with tens of thousands of users across the country. It offers solid case management, contact management, and reporting features. Charitylog is a reliable choice for disability charities that need a proven, well-supported system, though it currently lacks AI features and its interface can feel dated compared to newer platforms. Pricing starts at around £50 per month.

Lamplight

Lamplight is popular with smaller charities and community organisations. It offers flexible case management with good outcome tracking capabilities and is well-regarded for its customer support. Lamplight works well for disability charities that need straightforward case management without enterprise complexity. It does not currently offer AI transcription or automated impact reporting.

Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP)

Salesforce offers 10 free licences to eligible nonprofits and has a vast ecosystem of add-ons and integrations. The platform is powerful but requires significant configuration — and often paid consultancy — to set up for disability case management. The Einstein AI features are available at enterprise pricing tiers. Salesforce is best suited to larger disability organisations with dedicated IT or operations staff, or those that can invest in initial setup costs.

Views

Views is a case management system designed specifically for voluntary and community sector organisations. It offers person-centred support planning, outcome tracking, and reporting. Views is used by a number of disability and learning disability charities and has a solid reputation for supporting complex casework. Pricing is quote-based and typically requires a demonstration.

Makerble

Makerble focuses on outcome tracking and impact measurement rather than case management. It offers visual dashboards and story-based reporting, which can be useful for disability charities that want to communicate impact to funders and supporters. It has a free tier but lacks case management depth, safeguarding features, and referral management — so it works best as a complement to a case management system rather than a replacement.

How to Choose the Right Platform

Choosing software for a disability charity depends on several factors specific to your organisation.

If you are a small charity (under £100,000 income): Cost is likely the primary constraint. According to Markel Direct, 31% of UK charities have an income of less than £5,000. A free tier like Plinth's or Makerble's may be the only realistic option. Prioritise ease of use and core case management over advanced features you may not need yet.

If you run learning disability services: Person-centred planning is essential. Look for platforms that support individualised pathways, flexible goal-setting, and progress tracking over long time periods. Plinth, Views, and Lamplight all handle this well. AI case notes can be particularly valuable in learning disability services where session notes are detailed and time-consuming to write up.

If you are a disability advocacy organisation: Your needs may lean more towards contact management, campaign tracking, and communications than intensive case management. Charitylog or Salesforce NPSP may be more appropriate, depending on your scale.

If you manage multi-agency referrals: A dedicated partner CRM module is essential. Plinth's Partner CRM is purpose-built for tracking referrals across health, social care, and voluntary sector boundaries. Salesforce can also handle this with configuration.

If you need to demonstrate outcomes to commissioners: Outcome tracking and automated reporting should be your priority. Plinth's Surveys and Impact Reporting features are designed specifically for this. Makerble also excels at visual outcome presentation.

Common Challenges and How Software Helps

The disability employment rate in the UK stands at just 53%, compared to 82% for non-disabled people, according to the Department for Work and Pensions. For charities working to close this gap, software needs to track employment outcomes, record employer engagement, and report on progression over time.

Safeguarding is another area where the right software makes a material difference. Disability charities are required to maintain detailed, chronological records of concerns and actions — and to be able to produce these records quickly in the event of an inquiry or inspection. A case management system with built-in concern levels and alert mechanisms provides a structured framework that spreadsheets and paper records cannot match.

Finally, the coordination challenge is real. A single person supported by a disability charity may be simultaneously involved with a GP, a social worker, an occupational therapist, a housing provider, and a benefits adviser. Keeping track of who is doing what — and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks — requires a referral management system that goes beyond a shared inbox.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best CRM for disability charities in the UK?

The best CRM depends on your organisation's size, specialism, and budget. For small to mid-sized disability charities that need case management, outcome tracking, and multi-agency referral management, Plinth offers the most comprehensive free tier with AI-powered features. For larger organisations with dedicated IT resources, Salesforce NPSP provides extensive customisation. Charitylog and Lamplight are well-established options for charities that prefer a more traditional CRM approach.

Do disability charities need accessible software?

Yes — and this goes beyond legal compliance. The Equality Act 2010 requires reasonable adjustments, and many disability charities employ people with disabilities or involve beneficiaries in data collection. Software that is not accessible excludes the very people your organisation serves. Look for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, screen reader compatibility, and flexible display options as minimum requirements.

How much does CRM software cost for a disability charity?

Costs range from free to several thousand pounds per year. Plinth offers a free tier with unlimited users and core features including AI case management. Lamplight starts from around £30 per month, Charitylog from around £50 per month, and Salesforce offers 10 free licences with additional costs for premium features and consultancy. Views and other specialist platforms typically provide quotes based on your requirements. Many disability charities with limited budgets start with a free tier and upgrade as their needs grow.

Can I track person-centred outcomes for people with learning disabilities?

Yes — this is a core requirement for learning disability services and most modern CRM platforms support it. Plinth's Case Management features include individualised pathways with Theory of Change frameworks, allowing you to set personalised goals (such as independent travel, managing finances, or building social connections) and track progress over time. Surveys can be used to collect validated wellbeing and independence measures at regular intervals.

How do AI case notes help disability charities?

AI Case Notes use speech-to-text transcription and AI structuring to convert recorded conversations into formatted case notes. For disability charities, this is particularly valuable because support sessions often involve detailed, nuanced discussions that are time-consuming to write up manually. The AI captures the conversation in real time and produces a structured note — including action items and key themes — typically saving caseworkers 50% or more of their administrative time.

Recommended Next Pages

• AI Case Notes — How AI transcription reduces admin for frontline disability caseworkers
• Case Management — Person-centred pathways and Theory of Change for disability support
• Partner CRM — Managing referrals across NHS, social care, and voluntary sector partners
• Impact Reporting — Automated reports for funders and commissioners
• Surveys — Collecting validated outcome measures from beneficiaries and carers
• Volunteering — Recruiting and managing volunteer support workers and advocates
• Best Software for Mental Health Charities — Guidance for organisations where disability and mental health intersect

Last updated: February 2026 Supporting people with disabilities? Book a demo or contact our team.