Disability charity Scope reduced staff numbers by 260 and made redundancies costing more than £900,000 in the year to March 2016, according to its most recent annual accounts.
Total staff numbers reduced from 3,555 to 3,295 - a 7 per cent reduction - and redundancy costs were £905,256.
The charity also announced its fifth annual operating deficit, and its fifth year of reduced overall income.
The charity had an overall income of £99.5m, down from £100.9m the previous year. This year’s income included one-off income from property sales of £5.1m, meaning that the charity was able to grow its reserves.
Chair Andrew Macdonald wrote in his introduction to the annual report that Scope has been financially “up against it” and had had to take tough decisions.
“There are no two ways about it: this is a tough environment in which to run a charity,” he said. “The purse strings on public expenditure continue to tighten, exposing new needs in our society. Life is tough for disabled people. Public trust in charities is falling. There are huge pressures on fundraising. Growing scrutiny and demands for transparency. And criticism of charities in the media.
“I think we are facing fundamental challenges to the role of charities in our society. Challenges which merit a proper public debate.”
He said the staff had not received pay awards, and investment in shops had been delayed.
Chief executive Mark Atkinson was the highest paid member of staff, earning £129,000.
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