Call for more charitable bequests

A campaign for people to leave 10 per cent of their estate to charities and cultural organisations on their death claimed the backing of all three political parties yesterday.

The Prime Minister, David Cameron, along with Nick Clegg and Labour leader, Ed Miliband, have pledged to leave donations in their wills as part of the Legacy10 scheme. The drive rests on a change in tax laws, which means that anyone leaving 10 per cent or more to charity will see their inheritance tax bill cut from 40 per cent to 36 per cent.

The campaign hopes that with 74 per cent of people supporting charities during their lifetime but only 7 per cent making a pledge in their wills, there is plenty of scope to increase the UK's number of posthumous benefactors.