Opening doors through education to fellow men and women, whose twists and turns in life have not been as comfortable as mine, just seemed wholly appropriate.
Diana, legacy pledger
A gift in your Will means you can make a lasting positive impact on people’s lives.
By deciding to remember us in your Will, you’ll help our teams provide distance learning courses and specialist advice and guidance in prisons across England and Wales.
Although we are not legal experts, and therefore cannot offer legal advice on your estate, we are here to support you every step of the way.
If you’re thinking of leaving a legacy, take a look at our frequently asked questions below.
The process of making or updating a Will is relatively straightforward but it is always best to seek legal advice.
A legal professional will have the expertise to ensure that the wording of your Will clearly expresses your wishes and that it is legally valid.
Before your appointment it can be very useful to make two lists. One of these should be of your assets – things like property, shares and objects of value – and one of people and causes you wish to leave something to.
If you would like to write your will for free, we have partnered with Farewill to offer you, as a supporter of Prisoners’ Education Trust, an easy way to write your Will for free, in as little as 20 minutes. Farewill helps you plan your estate in four simple steps, and their friendly legal experts are on hand if you need advice. You can start writing your Will right away, either online or over the phone. Write your will for free today or get in touch if you would like to know more.
If you’re looking for a legal advisor, Remember A Charity has a useful directory.
If you decide to remember PET in your Will, ask your solicitor or will-writer to use our full name, Prisoners’ Education Trust, and quote our charity number, 1084718.
You may find it helpful to take this wording with you to your appointment with your solicitor. They can then use it to incorporate your specific legal instructions into your Will:
General Legacy to PET:
I give the sum of £_________ [or specify percentage of estate] to Prisoners’ Education Trust (registered charity number 1084718) for its general purposes and I declare that the receipt of the honorary treasurer or other proper officer of the said Prisoners’ Education Trust for the time being shall be a full and sufficient discharge for the said legacy.
A pecuniary gift: this is the gift of a specified sum of money. It is worth noting that because of inflation the eventual value of this type of gift can be affected significantly over time.
A residuary gift: this is where you set aside a portion or all of your remaining estate – known as the residue (what is left over after the payment of debts, funeral expenses and the costs of the administration, and after all the specific and other gifts in the Will have been paid) – for, or to be divided between, named beneficiaries such as your relations or a charity.
You are under no obligation to let us know if you have left a gift to PET in your Will or indeed what you have left – it is your decision and we will always respect that. If you would like to tell us however, we’d love to be able to thank you for your generous gesture. You can contact the fundraising team here.
Inheritance Tax is usually paid on an estate when somebody dies. It is also sometimes payable on trusts or gifts made during someone’s lifetime. Many estates don’t have to pay Inheritance Tax because they’re valued at less than the threshold (currently £325,000). The tax is payable at 40% on the amount over this threshold. The estate can pay Inheritance Tax at a reduced rate of 36% on some assets if you leave 10% or more of the net value to charity in your Will.
So if you leave a charitable gift, it will be deducted from your estate before any Inheritance Tax liability is calculated. To find out more visit the HMRC website.
That’s great! We’re always really grateful for any support we receive right now. Visit our Get Involved page to learn more about how you can help now.
If you have any further questions or would like to discuss anything in more detail, please contact our fundraising team.
