A valid and up-to-date Will is one of the most important documents you will ever possess – but the process of writing one doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated.
Hello, my name is David and I am the Gifts in Wills manager at RNID. Here, I’ll explain the importance of having a valid Will and how RNID benefits from the generosity of those who leave a charitable gift in their Will.
Why do I need a Will?
Having a valid Will means that when you die your estate is distributed as per your wishes. As a result, you can rest assured that your loved ones are taken care of in the ways that you intended.
When a person dies without leaving a valid Will, they are described as ‘dying intestate’. This means that their estate must be shared out according to the rules of intestacy. If a Will is made but it is not legally valid, the rules of intestacy will be applied to decide how the estate will be shared out. This may not be the same as those expressed in the deceased’s Will.
What are gifts in Wills?
A charitable gift in your Will is a percentage of your estate (a residuary) or a fixed amount of your estate (a pecuniary) that you leave to a charity in your Will. Gifts in Wills form a vital part of our funding. They allow us to carry out vital work now and plan for the future to ensure that the next generation(s) benefit from these gifts.
How do gifts in Wills help?
At RNID, we have been working towards restoring natural hearing and curing tinnitus for over 100 years. We’re the biggest charity in the UK dedicated to funding research into treatments and cures for hearing loss and tinnitus.
Gifts in Wills are vital to the work we do. Over two thirds of our voluntary income is generated by the kindness of those who leave a gift in their Will.
This generosity helps us to invest in research projects, provide vital services and fund campaigns for those living with hearing loss, tinnitus and deafness. Read more about what we do.
But what about my loved ones?
We understand that taking care of your loved ones comes first and we will never question that. Once your family are taken care of, we welcome gifts of all sizes. Every gift, no matter what size, will make a real difference to our work, not just now but for future generations.
How do I leave a gift in my Will?
Our digital gifts in Wills guide is a great place to start if you are looking to write or update your Will. It also has advice on how you can leave a gift in your Will to RNID.
Contact us
If you are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus and need free confidential and impartial information and support, contact RNID.
We’re open 8:30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.