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Scotland

How to leave a gift in your will

Everyone needs to make a will. It’s the only way to make sure your money and possessions go to the people and causes you care passionately about.

Types of gifts you can make

There are a number of ways you can leave Shelter Scotland a legacy gift in your will.

You could gift:

  1. A share of your estate (residuary gift)

    You may wish to leave Shelter Scotland all or part of what is left of your estate after other gifts and debts have been paid. This gift will not be eroded in value by inflation over the years.

    Suggested will wording:

    'Subject to the payment of my debts, funeral and testamentary expenses, I give (the whole/insert percentage value) of my estate not otherwise disposed of by this my Will to Shelter Scotland of Scotiabank House, 6 South Charlotte Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4AW registered charity number SC002327, for the general purposes of Shelter Scotland, and I declare that the receipt of their Treasurer or other proper officer shall be a full and sufficient discharge.'

  2. A sum of money (pecuniary gift)

    You may wish to leave us a stated sum of money. With this gift, it’s important to remember that the value of money changes over time and you may need to alter your will periodically to keep up with inflation.

    Suggested will wording:

    'I give free of tax to Shelter Scotland of Scotiabank House, 6 South Charlotte Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4AW, registered charity number SC002327, the sum of £________ for the purposes of Shelter Scotland, and I declare that the receipt of their Treasurer or other proper officer shall be a full and sufficient discharge.'

  3. A specific item of value

    You may wish to leave us a particular item of value such as a property, painting, or piece of jewellery, which can be sold to support our work. By leaving a property to Shelter Scotland, you can equip families with the knowledge they need to secure a safe place to call home. For example, a house which sells for £280,000, could help a staggering 10,000 people get advice by making a call to our emergency helpline and avoid them losing their homes.

    Suggested will wording:

    'I give to Shelter Scotland of Scotiabank House, 6 South Charlotte Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4AW, registered charity number SC002327, absolutely (write in here whatever you wish to give) for the purpose of Shelter Scotland, and I declare that the receipt of their Treasurer or other proper officer shall be a full and sufficient discharge.'

  4. A reversionary gift

This gift enables you to pass your estate or specific assets of your estate, to individuals who will benefit throughout their lifetime. Following their deaths all, or some, of the estate is then passed to the beneficiaries as specified in the reversionary legacy.

For example, property may be left to a spouse for their lifetime and then bequeathed to Shelter after their death.

How to make a will

We suggest that you use a solicitor to write your will, as this is the best way to ensure your will is legally valid.

Find a solicitor through the Law Society of Scotland

Before you see your solicitor, you may wish to complete our asset checklist and take it, along with our suggested will wording, to your appointment.

Find out how to make a will for free

Amending an existing will

If you already have a will and want to include a gift to Shelter Scotland, you may not need to rewrite it. You can ask your solicitor to add a codicil form, which makes amendments to your existing will.

Inheritance tax benefits of gifts in wills

Gifts in wills to registered charities are free of inheritance tax (IHT). So, if the value of your estate is more than the tax threshold, a gift to charity could reduce the burden of IHT. Also, if you leave 10% or more of your estate to charity, this can reduce the rate of IHT from 40% to 36% on some assets.

Find more from Gov.uk about inheritance tax

Get in touch

If you have any questions, please contact Daisy Board in our gifts in wills team on 0344 5151617 or email legacies@shelter.org.uk.