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Maximizing Free Money: The Overlooked Benefits Clients Should Claim in 2025

Journalist: Scott Gallacher, Newspage Newsdesk

ended 31. December 2024

Many people are unaware of the financial opportunities available to them in the form of ‘free money.’ From workplace pension matches to government grants and tax reliefs, these overlooked benefits can significantly enhance financial health. Financial advisers are in a unique position to help clients identify and maximise these opportunities, ensuring they don’t leave money on the table in 2025.

What Are People Missing Out On?

How are you helping clients identify and claim these often-overlooked sources of free money? 

Are there particular tools, resources, or conversations that have helped highlight these opportunities? 

Share your approach to ensuring clients take full advantage of what’s available to them.

4 responses from the Newspage community

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Editor
Scott GallacherVerified
Director at Rowley Turton
Workplace Pension Contributions:

Many employers offer to match employee pension contributions up to a certain percentage. However, some employees contribute the bare minimum, leaving this ‘free money’ unclaimed.

Tax Relief Opportunities:

Pension Tax Relief: Higher-rate taxpayers often fail to claim additional tax relief on pension contributions.
Gift Aid Donations: While basic-rate relief is automatic, higher-rate taxpayers can claim further relief through self-assessment.
Marriage Allowance: Couples often miss this.

Attendance Allowance:

While much of our work focuses on investments, pensions, and financial planning, we also cover essential areas like long-term care (LTC). Recently, we helped a new client with a long-term care case and, by spotting and highlighting that they weren’t claiming Attendance Allowance, which enabled them to apply and successfully receive an additional £5,644.60 per year at the higher rate of £108.55 per week—more than covering the cost of our advice.
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Editor
Gabriel McKeownVerified
Political & Economics Writer at Sad Rabbit - Substack Newsletter
In the wake of the UK's most sweeping tax reforms in decades, a new financial frontier is emerging, providing a golden opportunity for strategic wealth planning. As the dust settles on Chancellor Reeves’ controversial budget, the landscape of personal finance has been dramatically reshaped, with the increase in CGT rates opening new avenues for strategic asset disposal. Additionally, for small businesses, the enhanced Employment Allowance, rising to £10,500, represents a substantial reduction in tax liabilities. However, when coupled with adjustments to employer's NI contributions, this change necessitates a thorough review of remuneration structures to maximise benefits. Furthermore, the landscape of pension contributions presents a mixed picture of opportunity and complexity, with the lifetime allowance abolished, yet the tapered annual allowance and the cap on tax-free lump sums highlight the necessity of careful pension planning in the new year.
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Editor
Darryl DhofferVerified
Founder at The Mortgage Geezer
Helping Clients Claim "Free Money", and possible missed opportunities include:
Employer Matching: Many miss out on free employer contributions to retirement plans.
Government Benefits: Eligible individuals often overlook government grants and tax credits for education, housing, and other expenses.
Tax Savings: Untapped tax deductions and credits can significantly reduce tax burdens.
I would strongly advise any consumer to talk to a suitably qualified accountant, tax or financial advisor, to explore all their options.
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Kundan BhaduriVerified
Entrepreneur, Investor and Landlord at The Kushman Group
Free money—sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Yet, each year, countless clients unknowingly forfeit what’s rightfully theirs, from unclaimed workplace pension matches to overlooked tax reliefs. As advisers, our job often feels like being financial detectives, piecing together opportunities hiding in plain sight.

For 2025, I’m leaning into proactive conversations—think less jargon, more clarity. Tools like benefits calculators and personalised financial reviews have been game-changers. But, truthfully, it’s the ‘lightbulb moment’ for clients that makes it worthwhile: realising they’ve been walking past their own pot of gold.

It’s not about reinventing the wheel; it’s about ensuring no one leaves money on the table. Because if there’s one thing we’ve learned, free money is the rare financial unicorn that’s real—if you know where to look.