What is Will for Free?
Will for Free is a fundraising initiative by the Institute of Cancer Research, London, for people aged 60 and over to make a basic Will at no cost to themselves. The cost of the Will (up to an agreed limit) is covered by the ICR.
The purpose of Will for Free is to raise long-term income to support our world-leading cancer research. Since the programme was launched it has raised over £17 million to help our scientists make the discoveries to defeat cancer.
How does Will for Free work?
1. The client makes an appointment with a solicitor and discusses their requirements at the initial consultation. If they meet our criteria, they can use our programme to make their Will.
2. Once the Will has been drafted, signed and legally witnessed, the solicitor sends their invoice and our participant form to the client (found at the back of the Will for Free leaflet).
3. The client signs the invoice to indicate they approve the cost (this is a requirement from our auditors), completes and signs our participant form, and returns both documents to the solicitor.
4. The solicitor sends the form and their invoice to us with a covering letter. The participant form must include a payment code (see next question)
5. On receipt of the invoice, it will be checked, approved and paid in the next available payment run. The ICR pays £110 +VAT for a basic single Will, and £180 +VAT for a basic mirror Will.
What is a payment code?
Payment codes allow us to monitor the performance of the Will for Free programme and ensure we are investing in the most appropriate geographical areas.
When you sign up to Will for Free your firm is issued with 10 payment codes. Each code represents one Will (single or mirror). Additional codes are not guaranteed – you must not accept instructions from clients unless you have a payment code to cover it.
If you run out of codes, please call our Legacy Team on 020 7153 5387 for more or email [email protected].
What criteria does the client need to meet?
- The client must be at least 60 years old. If they require a mirror Will, only one person has to be aged over 60.
- They should require a basic Will. If they need a more complex Will they can still use the programme but they must be informed at the initial consultation that they will be responsible for any costs over our maximum (basic) amounts.
How is Will for Free promoted?
We promote it on our website, through fundraising activities and leaflet drops in geographical areas where the programme is available.
Do clients have to leave a legacy to the ICR?
Clients are under no obligation to leave a legacy to the ICR (or any charity), but the majority of users do choose to do so.
How can my firm join / leave Will for Free?
To join the programme please call our Legacy Team on 020 7153 5387. You will be sent a registration pack along with the terms and conditions.
Once you sign and return a copy of the terms and conditions, we will send you a welcome pack and your firm's details will be added to our list of participating solicitors.
You will also receive our biannual newsletter, 'Search', which includes our latest research news and fundraising activities, along with other occasional material about our work.
Please also call our Legacy Team if you wish to leave the programme. If you are in the process of writing any Wills for us, please send in the paperwork as soon as possible.
I cannot find the ICR on the Charity Commission website – why is this?
The ICR is not registered with the Charity Commission because we are a college of the University of London, and this is standard for long-standing universities and museums.
We are regulated by the Office for Students, which has similar powers to the Charity Commission. Our exempt reference number is X90004.
You can find out more about exempt charities here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/exempt-charities-cc23/exempt-charities.
Can clients use Will for Free more than once?
Currently there are no restrictions on the number of times someone can use Will for Free.