Have you made a will?

Half of Britons have not made a will, meaning they have no say in who their assets will be passed on to when they die, new figures have revealed.

The statistics have been compiled as part of a poll by charitable initiative Will Aid, to tie in with the launch of the organisation’s 2016 publicity drive My Last Words.

It found that while young people are the least likely to have made a will, an incredible 19% of people aged 55 and over haven’t either. It also discovered that 35% of people with no will have dependent children and therefore have not assigned guardians for them.

Will Aid Month, which takes place every November, encourages people to complete this vital piece of paperwork and tick it off the to-do list – as well as offering them a chance to raise much needed funds for charity.

Will Aid partners with law firms who pledge their time to write basic wills, with clients invited to donate the fee to nine charities supported by Will Aid instead.

Peter de Vena Franks, campaign director, said: “A will tells your loved ones who should have your money, property and possessions when you die and who will be in charge of following your instructions - your executor.

“Without this information, the law decides how your estate is passed on – and this may not be in line with your wishes.

“Will Aid makes it easy for you to get a professional will drawn up with a solicitor as well as the opportunity to help nine fantastic charities who work with vulnerable people all over the world.”

The recommended donation for your basic Will Aid will is £95 for a single will and £150 for a pair of mirror wills.

Those who wish to make a will can make their November appointments from today – September 5th.

Will Aid patron, Dame Judi Dench, said: “These days, families can be complicated and it's more important than ever that you have a proper will to make sure all your loved ones are protected. It is also very important to review your will every few years. Family circumstances change, people grow older and the rules relating to inheritance change. The charity will-writing scheme, Will Aid provides the perfect opportunity to make or update your will and give to charity at the same time.”

Last year Will Aid raised more than £1 million for its charity partners – ActionAid, Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, NSPCC, Save the Children, Sightsavers, SCIAF (Scotland) and Trocaire (Northern Ireland).

The campaign has raised more than £17 million in donations since it started.

This year publicity drve – My Last Words – invites people to post their “last words” online accompanied by the hashtag #MyLastWords to encourage people to open up channels of communication on what can be a very emotive subject.

Solicitors can still sign up to take part. Contact Will Aid today to find out more or book an appointment. Visit www.willaid.org.uk