Gifts in Wills
Leaving a gift in your Will allows you to give something special to the people and causes you care about after you’re gone. By choosing to leave a gift in your Will to PDSA, you’ll help sick and injured pets across the UK.
Gifts in Wills fund two out of three pets we treat, so leaving a gift in your Will to PDSA, no matter how big or small, will leave a lasting legacy and keep people and pets together for years to come.
Why leave a gift in your Will to PDSA?
A gift in your Will helps us run our life-saving veterinary services, which keep people and pets together across the UK. Any gift you give, no matter how big or small, will make a huge difference to the people and pets who need us most.
It’s thanks to gifts in Wills that we can treat over 282,000 pets per year, over 3,270 pets per working day across our Pet Hospitals, and fund two out of three treatments from kind legacy donations. Without your generous support, this simply wouldn’t be possible.
We rely on your donations to fund our work. By including a gift in your Will to PDSA, you'll help us give life-saving treatment to pets across the UK and be there for pets and their owners in future too.
How to leave a gift in your Will
You can leave a gift in your Will by following these four easy steps:
Step one: Find a solicitor
The first thing you should do is find yourself a qualified solicitor. Our free Will writing service can help you find a local solicitor.
Step two: Work on the wording
You need to be very specific with the wording to make sure your wishes are carried out exactly how you want. We recommend the following:
Wording to include part or all of your estate (residuary legacy):
I GIVE (percentage --%) of the residue of my estate after payment of funeral and testamentary expenses and debts to The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals of Whitechapel Way, Priorslee, Telford, Shropshire TF2 9PQ. Registered charity nos. 208217 and SC037585.
Wording to include a fixed sum of money (pecuniary legacy):
I GIVE absolutely and free of all tax the sum of (amount in words and numbers £XXX) to The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals of Whitechapel Way, Priorslee, Telford, Shropshire, TF2 9PQ. Registered charity nos. 208217 & SC037585.
Step three: Write a new Will
If you have lots of changes to make to your Will, it can be easier and cheaper to create a new Will. You can use our free Will writing service to create a new will.
Step four: Register your Will
We’ve teamed up with the Certainty National Will Register to provide you with free Will registration (which usually costs £30).
Looking to leave a gift in your Will to PDSA?
If you’ve decided to leave a gift in your Will to PDSA – thank you! Legacy donations are so important to us and your gift will help us continue saving pets across the UK.
We offer a free Will writing service to anyone aged 50 and over to easily write or update your Will for free. To find out more, visit our free Will writing service page.
If you have a question about leaving a gift in your Will, please get in touch with our friendly team on 0300 3737 226, email legacies@pdsa.org.uk or complete this online form.
Types of gifts you can leave in your Will
There are two types of gifts you can leave in your Will to PDSA. We recommend discussing this with your solicitor beforehand to figure out what’s the best choice for you. The two types are:
- A percentage of your estate (residuary legacy): you can leave a certain percentage of your estate to a charity in your Will. For example, you can decide to donate 2% of your house sale to PDSA.
- A fixed donation (pecuniary legacy): you can leave a fixed donation, such as a specific amount of money, in your Will. For example, if you decide to donate £5,000 to PDSA.
How your gift in your Will helps pets in need
Leaving a gift in your Will to PDSA helps pets in need receive life-saving treatment across our Pet Hospitals. Gifts in Wills fund approximately 1.5 million treatments every year. Together, we can be there for people and pets in need.
Hear one of our supporter’s stories
Thanks to generous supporters like Geoffrey and Patch, the money we receive from gifts in Wills enables us to treat more than 3,200 pets each day. And each day, more than 3,200 owners just like Geoffrey are eternally thankful for the care their beloved companion has received.
Video found at youtu.be/toiXCyvy6zY
Free Will writing service
Our free Will writing service allows anyone aged 50 or older to write or update their Will easily. The process is simple and you’re guided by qualified professionals for complete peace of mind.
Download our free Will writing guide
You can find out more about leaving a gift in your Will with our free Will writing guide. Our guide shows you the impact your gift could have and explains everything you need to know about writing or updating your Will.
Myths about making a Will
Your Will is probably one of the most important documents that you will ever sign, yet common misconceptions often lead people to believe they don’t need one. Our Legacy Experts have debunked the most common myths about Wills.
Guidance for executors
When someone you care about passes away, sorting out legalities, such as Wills and estates, may be the last thing on your mind. We’re here to help you and make it as easy as possible for you.
If you would like to contact the Legacy Management team, please email legacymanagement@pdsa.org.uk or call 01952 797359 and one of our team will be in touch shortly.
Watch our short video on June and Jocelyn’s story to hear more about being an executor.
Video found at youtu.be/uihvYXXExnA
Need help leaving a gift in your Will?
If you have any questions about leaving a gift in your Will to PDSA or want to talk to one of our experts, fill out our contact form and we’ll be in touch to help you.
Frequently asked questions about gifts in Wills
- Where can I find more information about gifts in Wills?
- Will leaving a gift in my will affect my family’s inheritance?
- Can I change my mind about leaving a gift in my will?
- How do executors pay a gift left in a will?
- Why leave a gift in your will to charity?
- What types of gifts can you leave in a will?
- What is a residuary gift in a Will?
- What is a pecuniary gift in a Will?
For more information on gifts in Wills, get your free Will writing guide created by Our Legacy Experts.You’ll get both a digital and paper copy so you can get all the information you need to create or update your Will.
You can use our free Will writing service and talk to experts who may be able to answer any questions you may have.
Alternatively, you can get in touch with our friendly team if you have any other questions on 0300 3737 226 or via email legacies@pdsa.org.uk.
Leaving a gift in your Will to PDSA is a great way to leave a positive legacy for the future. It can also reduce the amount of tax paid by the rest of your estate, so this means that your family can get the most out of their inheritance.
If you choose to leave more than 10% of your estate to us, your Inheritance Tax rate may be reduced. Be sure to consult with your solicitor.
Yes, you can change your Will at any time. Don’t be fooled by the misconception that once you make a Will, you don’t need to think about it again. It's important to review your Will regularly to ensure it reflects your current wishes.
If your friend or loved one has left PDSA a gift in their Will, we're here to help. We have a full guide to the steps you need to take as an executor of a Will.
Are you looking for a way to pay in a gift left in a Will? You can use our online payment form.
Leaving a gift in your Will to a charity allows you to support causes you care about long after you’re gone. By leaving a legacy to PDSA, your generosity will help us treat sick and injured pets long into the future.
If you leave a gift in your Will to a charity and it’s more than 10% of your net estate, then the amount of Inheritance Tax may also be reduced.
There are two types of gifts that you can leave to PDSA in your Will, which are:
- A percentage of your estate (residuary legacy) – you can leave a percentage of your estate to a charity, like PDSA, in your Will. This donation will be made once the value of all your money, property and possessions has been calculated.
- A fixed donation (pecuniary legacy) – you can choose to leave a fixed donation as a gift in your Will to a charity. This is usually a fixed amount of money or a certain valuable item, such as a car.
Leaving a residuary gift in your Will is when you donate a percentage of your estate to a charity. For example, you leave 5% of your house to PDSA, then 5% of the sale will be given to PDSA.
Leaving a pecuniary gift in your Will is when you choose to leave a fixed donation such as an exact amount of cash or a valuable item. For example, if you leave £5,000 to PDSA or donate your car.
Other Ways to Support PDSA
Make a one-off donation
A one-off donation allows us to administer urgent and emergency treatment to poorly pets in need.
Make a monthly donation
Regular donations from kind supports ensure that pets receive the urgent care they need, every day.
Other ways to give
There are other ways to give aside from donations. However you choose to support us, you’ll be saving pets across our hospitals.