How to leave a gift in your Will
More people are surviving cancer right now thanks to gifts in Wills
To find out more about leaving a gift in your Will, request our simple guide today. Inside you will find useful tips on the types of gift you can leave, who can help you write your Will and who to contact to take the next step.
Thank you for considering leaving us a gift in your Will. We really appreciate you taking the time to consider supporting in this way.
By leaving a gift to Cancer Research UK in your Will, you’ll be joining our researchers, scientists, nurses and other supporters who have also made a pledge to beat cancer.
Your Will is one of the most important things you’ll ever write, and we can help you with the process of making or updating a Will.
Here are 3 steps to get you started
3 steps to making your Will
List what you own
Think about everything you own (your estate and assets) and who you’d like to be your executor. Our Will planner may be helpful.
Plan who you would like to include
For many people loved ones will come first, but we also hope you’ll consider leaving a gift to a charity like Cancer Research UK. With your help, we will write an end to cancer.
Decide who will write your Will
We would always recommend using a solicitor to write your Will to ensure all legal formalities are carried out correctly, and your Will is written and witnessed in a valid way.
3 steps to updating your Will
Prepare your information
It’s important to keep your Will up to date. If your circumstances have changed, it may be a good time to review your Will to make sure it still reflects your wishes.
Review who you would like to include
For many people loved ones will come first, but we also hope you’ll consider leaving a gift to a charity like Cancer Research UK. We receive no government funding for our research, so gifts from people like you make everything we do possible. With your help, we will write an end to cancer.
Decide who should write your Will
Depending on the significance of the changes you’d like to make to your existing Will, it may be possible to use a codicil to make your amendments. A solicitor can advise on the best course of action.
What types of gift can you leave?
Percentage share - you choose a percentage share of your estate to gift to charity. This type of gift is the most valuable because it’s inflation-proof.
Lump sum - a fixed amount that can lose its value over time as costs increase.
Specific gift - a particular item, such as a car, jewellery or property.
5 good reasons to make a Will and keep it up to date
1. Make sure your wishes are followed
With an up-to-date Will, you can have peace of mind that the people and causes that matter to you have been looked after the way you choose. It’s the only way to make sure your wishes are followed the way you intend.
2. Make it easier on friends and family
A Will makes it much easier for your family and friends to take care of your estate and be sure they’re acting on your wishes. Without a Will, the process can be difficult, stressful and time-consuming.
3. Help to minimise inheritance tax
If you’ve got a Will, it can help reduce the amount of inheritance tax that needs to be paid on your estate.
4. Protect the rights of your partner
If you and your partner aren’t married or in a civil partnership, you don’t have the same automatic rights as those who are married. You can make sure your partner’s looked after by naming them in your Will.
5. Give your assets to the people and causes you love most
Without a Will expressing your wishes, your whole estate could end up belonging to the Crown or government. Write a Will to keep control.
For those who will pay inheritance tax, a percentage gift to a charity can help reduce the amount of tax that needs to be paid on your estate.
Andrew Hitchon, Private Client Partner at Rothera Bray Solicitors
Inheritance Tax Relief
Currently, if your estate is worth more than £325,000, the executors of your will may have to pay inheritance tax at 40%. A way of reducing this bill is to leave 10% or more of your estate to charity as you may then qualify for a reduced rate of inheritance tax (36% rather than 40%) giving you more control over your own money.
You can calculate your predicted inheritance tax liability, and how this can be reduced with a gift to charity using the government’s inheritance tax calculator.
Inheritance tax can be complicated, so if you think that your estate might need to pay it, it makes sense to get professional advice.
Will-Writing Service
Use one of our trusted legal partners to write a simple Will and we’ll pick up the bill. We hope that, in return, you’ll choose to leave a gift in your Will to Cancer Research UK, so we can continue to save and improve lives through our research, information and influence. Most people do. In fact, over a third of the money we raise to beat cancer is from gifts in Wills.
The service is straightforward and easy to use. You can write or update a simple Will in person, online or over the phone. For more complex Wills, your solicitor will discuss any additional costs beforehand.
Where your money goes
Legacy gifts fund our core research. For every £1 donated, 80p is available to beat cancer and 20p is spent to help raise funds for the future. If you’d like to talk about how your gift might be spent, call our Legacy Team on 0300 123 1862.