Leaving a legacy

You can leave a legacy to The Blue Cross by including a clause in your Will

There are several ways to help fund our work by including The Blue Cross in a Will. You can choose to leave:

• A specific sum of money (called a pecuniary legacy)
• A valuable item such as a picture, antique vase or a piece of furniture that could be sold to raise money (called a specific legacy )
• A proportion, or all, of the remainder of your estate after pecuniary and specific legacies have been allowed for.
• A proportion, or all, of your estate after the death of your spouse or some other person. This means that they are still able to enjoy your possessions (such as the family home) during their lifetime but, after their death, your estate can still go to charity

(Please note: If you wish to leave your share of any jointly-owned assets including property, you should consult a solicitor as special rules apply).

If you have already made a Will and would like to amend it to include a gift to The Blue Cross, you can ask your solicitor to add a codicil to your Will.

If the total value of your estate is over a certain amount (as of 5 April 2008 this is £312,000) then Inheritance Tax may become payable, but any gift you make to a registered UK charity such as The Blue Cross is exempt. In effect this means that the tax payable on your estate is reduced.

Please note: the Inheritance Tax Nil Rate Band (0%) has increased to £312,000, this gives married couples and civil partners have a combined inheritance tax threshold of £624,000, rising to £700,000 by 2010. The announcement enables married couples and civil partners to combine their allowances, meaning that when the second partner dies, inheritance tax will not be charged on the first £624,000 of their estate, provided none of the allowance was used when the first partner died.

For more detailed information about making a Will and leaving a legacy to The Blue Cross, please fill in the request form  to receive a FREE copy of our legacy pack.