MP calls on constituents to make their Will with
Will Aid this November
Joan
Walley, MP for Stoke on Trent North, today called for local people
to take advantage of this November’s Will Aid. Will Aid enables
people to make a will, at the same time as helping a charity at no
extra cost to them.
Will Aid solicitors will draw up a basic will free of charge. In
return for this service, the solicitors hope clients will choose
to donate to the Will Aid charities the fee they would normally
charge. The suggested donation level is: £75 for a single Will,
£110 for a pair of matching or 'mirror' wills, or £40 for a
codicil to an existing will.
A recent survey found that only 40% of people have written a will
at all, and a quarter of peole have not reviewed their will for
five years or more.
Joan Walley said, “It’s alarming that so many people do not have
an up-to-date will. Will Aid is a chance for people to safeguard
the security of their loved ones, while at the same time helping
to transform the lives of communities in the UK and abroad.”
The nine participating charities are ActionAid, British Red
Cross, Christian Aid, Help the Aged, NSPCC, Save the Children UK,
Sight Savers International, SCIAF (Scotland) and Trocaire (N.
Ireland). Anyone interested in getting their financial affairs in
order at the same time as benefiting a charity should call the
Will Aid hotline on 0300 0300 013, or visit
www.willaid.org.uk to find a list of participating solicitors.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITOR:
The
latest Will Aid survey into Wills and inheritance issues found
that:
·
Only 40% have written a will at all
·
25% have not reviewed their will for 5 years or more.
·
Most people say they simply have not got around to writing one.
·
30% of those aged 55 and over have not written a will
·
Dying intestate risks leaving one’s loved ones with problems to
sort out while they are grieving. These problems may take years to
resolve, and could incur expensive legal fees, considerably
reducing the estate’s value. |
