NHS workers offered free wills after spike in demand
NHS workers are being offered free wills following a huge spike in demand for them during the coronavirus pandemic.
Online will writing company Farewill has announced it is to waive its £90 fee for medical professionals “for the foreseeable future”.
There were almost 12 times the number of requests from NHS workers in March 2020, as compared to December 2019, according to the online platform.
Alongside NHS workers making wills using the online platform, Farewill received numerous direct requests for discounts from medical staff.
The company's customer service team also spoke to NHS workers expressing concern and asking for specific advice about their situation, with many saying colleagues had encouraged them to think about arranging their affairs.
Reports suggest at least ten NHS workers have died after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Farewill chief executive Dan Garrett said: "Ever since we started in 2015, we’ve always wanted to make what is a tough and intense topic easier for everyone. We’ve seen demand for our services increase recently and we’ve done everything we can to meet it, taking on around 20 extra staff.
"When we started seeing the volume of enquiries from NHS workers grow so steeply, we all wanted to support them.
"So, to give them peace of mind and make the process as simple as possible in the middle of what must be an incredibly demanding time, they can make a will with us in as little as 15 minutes, for free (saving them £90). People can do it from home, from work - from wherever they like, so long as they have either internet or phone connection.
"Things are challenging for everyone in the NHS at the moment and we hope this gesture, even though it’s a small one in the scheme of things, will go some way towards helping."
Free wills for NHS staff are redeemable at farewill.com/nhs.
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