Most of us understand the importance of making a will but have not yet done so, a survey for children’s charity Barnado’s suggests.
Only 42% of the public have made a will before, compared to the 74% of all under-55 year olds who have not yet made a will. This comes despite 23% stating that making a will was part of their ‘financial planning’, and 22% of the general population having been encouraged to make one after having children.
For some, it seems there is just not much point to making a will: 19% said they have not made a will because they have nothing to leave, while 16% have not done so because they plan to pass on all their belongings to their family anyway. Only two percent declare that they have decided not to make a will because they do not care what happens to others after they die. Not all are ambivalent, however – 35% say that, other than to their family, they would consider leaving a gift in their will to a charity.
Of the reasons cited for the lack of will making, though, 32% claim they have always meant to draw one up, but have just ‘never got around to it’.
