Most people keep a copy of their Will at home or with their solicitors, so look there first. It’s important to check the Will you have is the most recent version. A solicitor will be able to tell you if the Will is valid.
As executor, you need to gather the details of your loved one's estate, including accurate valuations of all assets and any outstanding debts. This is sometimes referred to as a schedule of assets and liabilities. You will need this information when applying for the Grant of Probate (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or Confirmation (Scotland).
Getting a Grant of Probate (called Confirmation if the deceased lived in Scotland) allows you to legally deal with the deceased’s estate. In most cases you’ll need to do this before you can access their bank account, mortgage and any investments.
To get a Grant of Probate you need to:
Complete a probate application form - this will be different depending on whether the deceased lived in England, Wales or N.I. or in Scotland.
Complete the appropriate Inheritance Tax form - there are even forms for you if you think inheritance tax won’t be applicable.
Send your application to your local Probate Registry - check what you should include with your application on Gov.uk.
Swear an oath - before a solicitor or at the local probate office. Your local probate office will help you arrange this appointment.
Once you have completed all these steps you should hear from the Probate Service within 10-12 working days. If you don't, please check directly with the Probate registry for an update.
Inheritance tax is payable on all estates worth over a certain amount, so it’s important to check whether the deceased’s estate qualifies. All estates have to submit the appropriate inheritance tax form – even if there’s nothing to pay. As we are a charity, most gifts left to us are exempt from inheritance tax, but this is not always the case.
If more than 10% of the value of the estate has been left to charity, inheritance tax may be payable at a reduced rate. If this is the case, submit form IHT430 with your other inheritance tax paperwork when applying for the Grant of Probate. For further details of inheritance tax exemptions and conditions, check Gov.uk’s inheritance tax guidance.
You’re now ready to distribute the estate to the right people. After any debts, like mortgages or loans, have been paid off, you can distribute the gifts left in the Will to the beneficiaries.
A gift is likely to have been left to Cancer Research UK if it:
Our charity has been around for many years, but we’ve not always been known as Cancer Research UK.
As long as the Will includes one of the following names or registered charity numbers then it is very likely the gift has been left to us.
Charity Name | Registered Charity Number (current and previous) |
|---|---|
Cancer Research UK | 1089464, SC041666, 1103, 247 |
Imperial Cancer Research Fund | 209631 |
The Cancer Research Campaign | 225838 |
British Empire Cancer Campaign for Research | 225838 |
British Empire Cancer Campaign | 225838 |
The North of England Cancer Research Campaign | 1036335 |
War on Cancer (Whyte Watson Turner Cancer Research Trust and Bradford's War on Cancer) | 511226 (linked to 1089464) |
We have been located at the following addresses. If the Will mentions one of these, it is likely that the gift is meant for Cancer Research UK:
2 Redman Place, Stratford, London, E20 1JQ
Angel Building, 407 St John Street, London EC1V 4AD
61 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3PX
11 Grosvenor Crescent, London, SW1X 7EE
10 Cambridge Terrace, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4JL
2 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AR
44 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3PX
PO Box 123, London, WC2A 3PX
Dufferin Avenue, Bangor, Co. Down, Northern Ireland BT20 3AL
Princes Exchange, 1 Earl Grey Street, Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH3 9EE
The Cancer Research Campaign and Imperial Cancer Research Fund merged in 2002 to become Cancer Research UK. Gifts left to either of these charities are now managed by Cancer Research UK.
Sometimes gifts are left to “cancer research” rather than specifically Cancer Research UK. If this is the case, check the Will for any of the charity numbers or addresses listed above as this could be a sign the gift is for us.
The simplest way to notify us of a gift is to complete our form, otherwise please follow the steps below
For this type of gift, please send us:
A copy of the Will
A schedule of assets and liabilities (or the estate Inventory and form C1 if the deceased lived in Scotland)
Once our team has looked over these documents, we'll be able to let you know more guidance on how to administer the estate.
For this type of gift, please:
1. Send LegacyOperations@cancer.org.uk a brief note with your details, your loved one’s details, and a description of the gift
2. Pay in a legacy gift to Cancer Research UK using the following bank details:
NatWest Bank
CRUK Legacies
Account Number: 22994289
Sort Code: 56 00 13
If you’re making a payment, please make sure you reference the full name of your loved one.
If you’ve already been in touch with us, you can also include the reference number we’ve given you.
If Cancer Research UK has been left a gift which is subject to someone else having an interest first i.e. a right to live at a property for life (or 'Life interest'), please send us:
A copy of the Will
A schedule of assets and liabilities (or the estate Inventory and form C1 if the deceased lived in Scotland)
The insurance and maintenance details of the property each year (if the gift is a property)
The portfolio valuation each year (if the gift is stocks and shares)
Sometimes people leave us gifts where the value is not set.
To make sure that your loved one's wishes are honoured as closely as possible, update or involve us in the sale or use of these types of gifts.
If the gift includes property or land, please send us:
Two or more valuations to us before property/land is sold.
The professional surveyors report (for England and Wales only).
The Home report and marketing appraisal (for Scotland only).
As a charity we don't pay capital gains tax, which may arise if the property has increased in value since the person died. If steps above are taken we can avoid any tax liability and really make the most of your loved one's gift left to us.
We can often get preferential rates – both for the charity and for co-beneficiaries – in the sale of stocks and shares.
Please contact us first before selling any stocks and shares.
If you're unsure what to do, our expert team are to happy to help support you with any of your questions.
Phone: 020 3469 8797 (Our core working hours are Monday - Friday 10am-4pm)
Email: LegacyOperations@cancer.org.uk
Postal address:
Cancer Research UK
2 Redman Place
London
E20 1JQ
