Leave a gift in your Will
After looking after the people you love, you may wish to leave a gift in your Will to TNA UK.
Trigeminal neuralgia and facial pain can make ordinary things such as talking, eating, brushing your teeth or feeling cold air extremely difficult. For many people, the journey to diagnosis is long, confusing and isolating. TNA UK exists so that no one has to face that alone.
A gift in your Will could help us keep our helpline open, provide trusted information, strengthen regional and online support, raise awareness, and support research and progress towards better understanding and treatment of trigeminal neuralgia and facial pain.
Every gift matters, whatever its size. Each one could help ensure that people affected by trigeminal neuralgia and facial pain continue to find support, understanding and hope in the years ahead.
THE CONTENT
OF YOUR WILL
THE CONTENT OF YOUR WILL
Before meeting a solicitor or professional Will writer, it can help to make a note of the people and causes you may wish to include in your Will, and what you would like each to receive, whether that is a sum of money, a share of your estate or a specific possession.
Most people begin by thinking about family and friends. Some also choose to remember a charity that has mattered to them or supported them during their lifetime. If TNA UK has helped you, your family or someone close to you, you may wish to consider including a gift to the charity in your Will.
It is also sensible to think about what should happen if someone named in your Will dies before you. Taking a little time to consider these points in advance can make the process easier and help ensure that your Will reflects what matters most to you.
DIGITAL INHERITANCE
Many people now hold important information and assets digitally. This can include email accounts, photographs, documents stored online, websites, domain names, online financial accounts, reward accounts, and, in some cases, digital assets such as cryptocurrency.
These digital records may have financial value, personal value, or both. They can also be difficult for executors or family members to identify and access unless some planning has been done in advance. Access may depend not only on the terms of your Will, but also on the rules of the organisation or service provider involved.
If digital assets form part of your estate, it is sensible to keep a separate record of the accounts, services and devices you use, together with clear instructions about where relevant information is held. It is usually better not to include passwords, private keys or other sensitive security details in your Will itself. A solicitor or professional Will writer can advise you on the best way to deal with digital assets as part of your wider estate planning.
This is stronger because it removes the Wikipedia reference, avoids jargon, and keeps the legal point safe. It is also aligned with current UK guidance that certain digital assets can attract property rights, that digital accounts can be difficult for executors to access, and that passwords or private keys should not be written into the Will itself
INHERITANCE TAX
Inheritance Tax rules can be complex and will depend on personal circumstances. As at the 2026 to 2027 tax year, the standard Inheritance Tax threshold is £325,000. In some cases, an additional residence nil-rate band of up to £175,000 may apply where a home is left to direct descendants. Where Inheritance Tax is payable, the usual rate is 40% on the part of the estate above the available threshold or thresholds.
A properly prepared Will can help ensure that your estate is dealt with in the way you intend and may help with tax planning. Gifts to qualifying UK charities in a Will are generally exempt from Inheritance Tax. In addition, if 10% or more of the net estate is left to charity, the Inheritance Tax rate on the taxable part of the estate may be reduced from 40% to 36%. Because the rules can be detailed, it is sensible to take advice from a solicitor or professional adviser.
Types of gift
Residuary gift
A residuary gift is a share, or the whole, of what remains in your estate after debts, tax, costs and any other gifts in your Will have been dealt with. Many people choose this type of gift because it keeps its value over time.
Pecuniary gift
A pecuniary gift is a fixed sum of money left to a person or organisation.
Specific gift
A specific gift is a particular item, such as jewellery, artwork, property or another named possession.
Contingent gift
A contingent gift takes effect only if certain circumstances apply, for example if the person you first intended to benefit dies before you.
Updating your Will
It is a good idea to review your Will from time to time, especially if your circumstances change. A solicitor or professional Will writer can advise on the best way to make any changes and ensure that your wishes remain clear and legally valid
YOUR GIFT TO TNA UK
- Can support our research projects
- Could be used to develop helpline services
- Can increase the number of supporter groups in the
- Would help in the development and updating of literature
- Helps our charity to reach more sufferers, their families and carers and provide more support
FOR INFORMATION ON A FREE BASIC WILL WRITING
FOR TNA MEMBERS PLEASE CALL
A residuary gift is a gift of all or a percentage of your estate after all debts have been paid and other gifts given. This is an effective way to divide the value of your estate between a number of people and causes. You do not need to update your Will to keep pace with inflation as this type of gift is based on the current value of your estate.
A pecuniary gift is a fixed sum of money. This type of gift should be reviewed frequently as it may not keep pace with inflation. Consider index-linking the gift. You may wish to leave a gift that has sentimental value and can be anything from a piece of jewellery to a house. It may also be something that you leave to a person or cause with specific instructions as to how it should be dealt with.
This type of gift depends upon an event that may or may not happen. You may have left a gift to a charity but can make a further contingent gift of a portion or all of your estate if beneficiaries in your Will pre-decease you.
If you decide to change your Will, you do not have to write a new one. You can update your Will by having a codicil drawn up. This is usually just a single page document that provides details of additional gifts or changes to the value of gifts you have given. You can also use a codicil to change executors or details such as addresses.
A codicil must not contradict your existing Will and must be legally valid. It should be prepared and witnessed and it is recommended that you consult a solicitor.
This document is free in order to encourage more members and supporters to make a Will. Many people would like to leave a lasting legacy but do not get around to it. Your legacy can provide support, hope and help to a future generation of TN sufferers.