Gifts in Wills' FAQS

Why should I make a will?
If you die without a will the law decides who gets what and how much of your estate. By having a will in place you can clearly define who should receive any property, personal items and money you have and prevent unnecessary distress at an already difficult time for your family and friends.

Considering charity in your will?
Leaving a gift in your will is a wonderful act of selflessness and University Hospitals Birmingham Charity is extremely grateful to those donors who consider supporting the charity in this way. Leaving a gift in your will allows you to play a supporting role in helping patients, staff and families long into the future. The money that the charity receives from the wills of donors is used according to their wishes.

You can specify how the Charity should use your gift but it is best to discuss your wishes with the Charity first rather than simply leave instruction in the will. This ensures the gift can be directed to the area you want to support. For example, a cutting edge piece of equipment required by the hospital today may have been superseded or made obsolete by another treatment in future years.

Are there any tax benefits?
Gifts to charities are exempt from inheritance tax which is charged at 40% of the value of an estate in excess of £325k. They can also reduce the amount of inheritance tax on the rest of your estate. If you give at least 10% of your taxable estate to charity the inheritance tax rate for the rest of your estate drops from 40% to 36%.

I have a will, can I change it?
If you already have a will but wish to add a gift to a charity there is no need to change the whole will. You simply need to fill in a short form called a codicil which is signed by you in the presence of two witnesses. Your solicitor will be able to help you with this. Do not cross anything out or make changes to your actual will as this may make it invalid.

I’d like to make a will and leave a gift to the hospital charity within it, what do I do next?
Before you proceed with the online will writing site Bequeathed or visit your solicitor it may be useful to consider what type of gift you would like to leave.

• Pecuniary Bequest - A specific sum of money.
• Specific Bequest -  A particular item of value, such as jewellery or an antique.
• Residuary Bequest -  A share of what is left of your estate after expenses and all other wishes have been met.
• Conditional Bequest  - A gift which is passed to charity if the person for whom it was intended dies before you.

If you have any further questions, then don’t hesitate to contact us using the details here.