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Annual Benefits Review: When and How to Add Will Writing to Your Benefits Portfolio

· 19 min

Executive Summary

The annual benefits review represents the structured decision point at which new benefit candidates should be evaluated, yet the CIPD Reward Survey 2026 reveals that 22% of UK employers set no objectives for their benefits and only 33% of those who review find full alignment with stated goals. Against this governance gap, 56% of UK adults lack a will, pension death benefits enter Inheritance Tax scope from 6 April 2027, and mandatory payrolling of benefits in kind commences on the same date. This article provides benefits managers with a transferable evaluation framework for assessing will writing as a candidate benefit within the annual review cycle, addressing strategic alignment criteria, tax treatment under ITEPA 2003, delivery model selection, the April 2027 regulatory catalyst, and compliance with mandatory payrolling obligations. The methodology applies to any non-traditional benefit candidate, with will writing as the applied case study.

1. The Annual Benefits Review: Current State and Structural Deficiencies

1.1 Benefits Governance in UK Organisations

The CIPD Reward Survey: Focus on Employee Benefits 2026, surveying 1,059 reward and HR decision-makers, exposes systemic weaknesses in benefits governance.1 Twenty-two per cent of employers have no objectives underpinning their benefits package. Of the 77% that link benefits to at least one objective, the most common are retention (44%) and engagement (37%), while only 31% connect benefits to productivity or business performance.1 More troubling still, 15% of organisations with stated objectives never review performance against them, and of those that do review, only 33% find their benefits fully meeting objectives.2

These figures describe a governance framework that is structurally oriented toward maintaining existing provisions rather than evaluating new benefit candidates. The annual review cycle -- typically aligned with either financial year-end (March/April) or calendar year-end (December/January), and in many cases synchronised with insured benefits renewal dates in the autumn -- is designed primarily to assess whether current benefits remain cost-effective and contractually appropriate. The evaluation of candidate benefits that do not already feature in the portfolio receives materially less rigorous treatment. This structural bias toward incumbent benefits means that low-cost, high-relevance additions are systematically overlooked unless a specific catalyst forces them onto the review agenda.

1.2 The Cost-Value Pressure

The employer NIC increase from 13.8% to 15% from 6 April 2025, combined with the reduction of the secondary threshold from GBP 9,100 to GBP 5,000, has increased average per-employee costs by approximately GBP 938 for employees earning GBP 36,000.3 The Employment Allowance was simultaneously increased from GBP 5,000 to GBP 10,500 with the GBP 100,000 eligibility threshold removed, partially offsetting the impact for smaller employers.4 Nevertheless, this cost pressure intensifies the requirement for benefits managers to demonstrate value from every pound allocated to the benefits portfolio.

The REBA Employee Benefits Trends 2026 report, surveying 300 HR professionals, finds that 96% of employers expect 2026 to be challenging and 46% say offering a strong benefits range is a top priority (ahead of fair pay).5 The Aon UK Benefits and Trends Survey 2025 reinforces this: 94% of employer respondents agree that employers bear a responsibility for employee health and wellbeing, yet only 41% have formalised their health and wellbeing strategy.6 The gap between acknowledged responsibility and formal strategy creates an environment in which low-cost, high-impact benefits that address demonstrable needs are strategically valuable -- provided they can be evaluated systematically.

The practical consequence for benefits managers is that any new benefit proposed during the annual review must satisfy a higher evidential threshold than in previous years. Generic appeals to "employee wellbeing" are insufficient; the proposal must demonstrate quantifiable need, manageable cost, compliance clarity, and integration with existing provisions.

2. Will Writing: The Overlooked Benefit Candidate

2.1 Quantifying the Unmet Need

The Money and Pensions Service reports that 56% of UK adults aged 18 and over do not have a will, with 53% of those aged 50-64 and 22% of those aged 65 and over similarly lacking testamentary provision.7 Working-age adults -- the cohort directly served by employer benefits -- are disproportionately affected by this gap.

The consequences of intestacy extend beyond individual hardship. Under the Administration of Estates Act 1925, s 46, as amended by the Inheritance and Trustees' Powers Act 2014, cohabiting partners receive nothing from an intestate estate, regardless of the duration of the relationship or the presence of shared children.8 The current statutory legacy for married spouses and civil partners stands at GBP 322,000 (from 26 July 2023; SI 2023/758), with the remainder distributed according to a fixed statutory formula that makes no provision for unmarried partners or step-children.8

ONS data for 2024 records 6.5 million people in England and Wales living as cohabiting couples -- 12.9% of the population aged 16 and over -- up from 5.5 million in 2014.9 This represents 3.5 million cohabiting couple families, constituting 17.7% of all families.9 For benefits managers designing inclusive provisions, intestacy rules represent a structural inequity affecting a growing proportion of the workforce. Any workforce with a meaningful proportion of cohabiting employees contains individuals whose families face material financial risk in the absence of testamentary provision.

2.2 The Financial Wellbeing Dimension

Will writing intersects directly with the financial wellbeing agenda that has become central to benefits strategy. The CIPD Good Work Index 2025, surveying approximately 5,000 employees, found that 31% report money worries negatively affecting work performance.10 The CIPD's financial wellbeing research identifies that 19% of employees lost sleep due to financial worrying and 30% could not cope with an unexpected GBP 300 bill.11 Fifty-nine per cent of employees consider employer financial wellbeing support important, rising to 65% who say it matters when choosing their next employer.10

Yet only 15% of UK organisations have a formal financial wellbeing policy in place, according to the CIPD Reward Survey 2026.1 Separately, the Zellis Financial Wellbeing Report 2025, surveying 2,500 employees across the UK and Ireland, found that 89% reported financial stress had directly affected them at work.12 Will writing addresses the intersection of financial and emotional wellbeing at a cost point -- typically GBP 100 to GBP 300 per employee for solicitor-drafted wills, or GBP 30 to GBP 90 through regulated digital platforms -- that compares favourably against other financial wellbeing interventions. The Keep Britain Working review, published in autumn 2025, estimates the annual cost to employers of poor workplace health at GBP 85 billion and the cost to the state of economic inactivity due to ill health at GBP 212 billion per year.13 The review emphasises shared responsibility between employers, employees, and the NHS, with a three-year Vanguard Phase (2026-2029) to test new workplace health approaches, positioning employers as uniquely placed for early intervention and prevention.13

3. The April 2027 Catalyst: Timing the Benefits Review

3.1 Pension Death Benefits and Inheritance Tax

From 6 April 2027, unused pension funds and pension death benefits will be included in IHT estate valuations, with personal representatives becoming liable for reporting and paying IHT on pension assets.14 The government estimates that of approximately 213,000 estates with inheritable pension wealth in 2027-28, 10,500 will newly face IHT liability and 38,500 will pay increased IHT, with an average additional liability of approximately GBP 34,000.15 The exchequer impact is projected at GBP 710 million in 2027-28, rising to GBP 1,665 million by 2030-31.15

Two exemptions are critical for benefits managers: death in service benefits paid from registered pension schemes remain excluded from IHT, and spousal/civil partner and charity exemptions are preserved.14 However, the inclusion of defined contribution pension funds within IHT scope creates a direct operational link between employer pension schemes and employee estate planning. Employees whose wills and pension death benefit nominations are not coordinated may find that their estates face IHT liabilities that could have been mitigated through appropriate testamentary planning.

The significance for the annual benefits review is structural. The pension benefit that employers already provide -- through auto-enrolment and, in many cases, enhanced employer contributions -- will from April 2027 carry IHT consequences that many employees neither anticipate nor understand. Where an employer has actively encouraged pension saving through matching contribution campaigns or additional voluntary contribution promotions, there is a reasonable expectation that the employer will also facilitate awareness of the tax consequences that now attach to those savings. Will writing becomes the mechanism through which employees can ensure that their pension death benefit nominations and testamentary dispositions operate coherently within the new IHT framework. Benefits managers reviewing portfolios in Q3 2026 through Q1 2027 therefore face a time-critical reason to assess will writing as a complement to existing pension provision.

3.2 Mandatory Payrolling Convergence

From the same date -- 6 April 2027 -- mandatory payrolling of benefits in kind takes effect, replacing P11D reporting with real-time Full Payment Submission reporting for most benefits.16 Class 1A NICs will be paid in real time rather than in the July following the tax year. P11Ds will be retained only for beneficial loans and living accommodation.16 Penalty relief applies for genuine errors during the 2027-28 transition year, though not for deliberate non-compliance. Voluntary payrolling registration remains available until 5 April 2026; as of the date of this article, this deadline is approximately five weeks away, and employers wishing to adopt voluntary payrolling ahead of the mandatory April 2027 date must register before it passes.16

For benefits managers evaluating will writing during the 2026-2027 review cycle, this convergence has practical implications. Any new taxable benefit introduced must be planned with mandatory payrolling administration in mind. The payroll system must be configured to handle the benefit-in-kind value, and the employer must determine the correct delivery model before the benefit launches. Introducing will writing before April 2027 on a voluntary payrolling basis allows time to embed administrative processes before mandatory compliance begins.

3.3 Implementation Timeline

Benefits managers aligning will writing evaluation with the April 2027 regulatory dates should consider the following indicative milestones:

  • Q3 2026 (July-September): Evaluation phase -- apply the assessment framework below, conduct employee demand analysis, obtain provider quotations, and assess payroll system readiness for mandatory payrolling.
  • Q4 2026 (October-December): Board or governance committee approval, provider selection, payroll configuration, and employee communications strategy development.
  • Q1 2027 (January-March): Pilot launch or annual enrolment window, coordination with pension scheme communications regarding death benefit nomination reviews, and mandatory payrolling dry-run testing.
  • 6 April 2027: Full benefit availability aligned with pension IHT effective date and mandatory payrolling commencement.

This timeline assumes an employer with an April-aligned review cycle. Employers operating on calendar year cycles or with autumn insured benefits renewals should adjust the evaluation phase accordingly, with the critical constraint being that the benefit must be operational -- and payroll systems configured -- before 6 April 2027.

4. Evaluation Framework: Decision Criteria for Benefits Managers

4.1 Strategic Alignment Assessment

The first evaluation criterion is alignment with the organisation's stated benefits objectives. Using the CIPD Reward Survey categories, benefits managers should assess will writing against the three most common objectives: retention (cited by 44% of employers), engagement (37%), and financial wellbeing (a component of the 23% linking benefits to broader wellbeing goals).1 The assessment should document how will writing contributes to each objective with reference to the employee demand indicators established in Section 2. Where the organisation has no stated objectives -- the position of 22% of employers -- the evaluation itself may prompt the benefits governance committee to establish objectives, improving the rigour of the broader review process.

4.2 Cost-Benefit Analysis

The per-employee cost of will writing ranges from approximately GBP 30 to GBP 90 for digital platforms to GBP 100 to GBP 300 for solicitor-drafted wills. Employers must additionally account for Class 1A NIC at 15% (from April 2025) on the taxable BIK value.3 Two worked examples illustrate the total employer cost under different delivery models:

Example A -- Employer-funded solicitor-drafted wills (BIK treatment):

  • BIK value: GBP 200 per employee.
  • Class 1A NIC (15%): GBP 30.
  • Total employer cost per employee: GBP 230.
  • For an organisation of 500 employees at 30% take-up: 150 employees x GBP 230 = GBP 34,500 total programme cost.

Example B -- Salary sacrifice delivery (ORA rules):

  • Employee salary sacrifice: GBP 200.
  • Taxable value under ORA: GBP 200 (higher of cash forgone or BIK value; no employee NIC saving).
  • Employer NIC saving on sacrificed salary: GBP 200 x 15% = GBP 30 per participating employee.
  • Net employer cost: GBP 0 for the benefit itself, but administrative costs for ORA compliance and payrolling.

For comparative context, industry estimates suggest financial education workshops typically cost GBP 5,000 to GBP 15,000 per programme, employee assistance programme enhancements approximately GBP 5 to GBP 15 per employee per month, and debt advice services approximately GBP 50 to GBP 150 per employee per engagement.

4.3 Tax Treatment Decision Framework

The tax treatment of employer-provided will writing requires careful analysis across four potential pathways. Benefits managers should evaluate each sequentially, as each pathway has specific conditions that determine its availability.

Pathway 1 -- Welfare Counselling Exemption (ITEPA 2003, s 210 regulations): The welfare counselling exemption explicitly excludes legal advice (EIM21845).17 Will writing constitutes legal advice and falls outside this exemption. Where EAP services include specific legal advice, the exemption does not apply to any part of that service -- no apportionment basis exists.17 Outcome: Not available for will writing.

Pathway 2 -- Trivial Benefits Exemption (ITEPA 2003, s 323A): The exemption requires four conditions to be met simultaneously: the benefit must not be cash or a cash voucher (Condition A), the cost must not exceed GBP 50 (Condition B), it must not be a contractual entitlement or provided via salary sacrifice (Condition C), and it must not be in recognition of particular services performed (Condition D).18 Close company directors face an annual aggregate cap of GBP 300 (s 323B).18 Outcome: Limited applicability -- most comprehensive will writing services exceed the GBP 50 threshold.

Pathway 3 -- Benefit in Kind (standard BIK treatment): Where neither exemption applies and the benefit is employer-funded, will writing is a taxable BIK. The employee is liable for income tax on the benefit value, and the employer is liable for Class 1A NIC at 15%.3 From April 2027, the benefit must be reported via mandatory payrolling (Full Payment Submission) rather than P11D.16 Outcome: The default treatment for employer-funded will writing above the GBP 50 trivial benefits threshold.

Pathway 4 -- Salary Sacrifice (Optional Remuneration Arrangements): Under ITEPA 2003, s 69A-69C (as inserted by Finance Act 2017), benefits provided via salary sacrifice are taxed at the higher of the cash forgone or the taxable BIK value.19 Will writing is not an excluded exemption under the optional remuneration arrangement rules (excluded exemptions are limited to pensions, cycle-to-work, workplace nurseries, and ultra-low emission vehicles).19 There is therefore no NIC advantage for the employee. However, the employer saves employer NIC on the salary amount sacrificed. Outcome: Limited employee advantage; administrative complexity may outweigh marginal employer NIC saving.

A fifth option -- net payroll deduction -- avoids BIK treatment entirely. The employer facilitates access to a will writing service and deducts the cost from net pay. No BIK arises because the employee is paying directly. This approach is administratively straightforward but does not provide the perceived employer generosity associated with a funded benefit.

4.4 Delivery Model Selection

The choice of delivery model should follow from the tax treatment analysis:

Delivery Model Tax Treatment Employee Tax Impact Employer NIC Impact Administrative Burden
Employer-funded (BIK) Taxable BIK Income tax on benefit value Class 1A NIC at 15% Payrolling from April 2027
Salary sacrifice ORA rules apply Tax on higher of cash forgone or BIK value Saves employer NIC on sacrificed salary ORA compliance; payrolling
Net payroll deduction No BIK None (employee pays) None Minimal -- payroll deduction only
Flexible benefits platform Depends on funding source Varies by selection Varies Annual enrolment window required
EAP signposting Exempt (if general information only) None None Must not cross into specific legal advice

The distinction between general legal information and specific legal advice is critical for EAP signposting. The EAPA/HMRC agreed guidelines permit EAP providers to offer general information about will writing -- such as explaining why wills matter and how to find a solicitor -- without triggering a taxable benefit. However, the provision of specific legal advice on will content, beneficiary selection, or trust provisions crosses the boundary and brings the entire EAP service outside the welfare counselling exemption.17

4.5 Employee Demand Indicators

Benefits managers should assess demand using available organisational and external data. Key indicators include: workforce age profile (MaPS data indicates 56% of adults lack wills, rising among younger cohorts)7; cohabitation rates within the workforce (ONS data suggests 12.9% of the population aged 16+ cohabit, and any organisation with a workforce reflecting national demographics should expect a significant proportion of employees in this category)9; pension scheme membership and average fund values (relevant to April 2027 IHT exposure, with larger fund balances increasing the urgency of coordinated estate planning); and existing employee survey data on financial wellbeing needs. Where the organisation conducts annual engagement surveys, the addition of questions regarding estate planning awareness and will provision provides a direct evidence base for the evaluation.

4.6 Integration Assessment

Will writing does not exist in isolation within the benefits portfolio. The evaluation should assess integration with existing provisions across four dimensions. First, pension death benefit nomination processes require review ahead of April 2027, and will writing provides the mechanism through which employees can ensure that their nominations and testamentary dispositions are aligned.14 Second, death-in-service benefits remain excluded from IHT but intersect with will provisions regarding nominated beneficiaries; where death-in-service benefits are payable to trustees, the trustees' discretion should be informed by the employee's expressed wishes in a will. Third, EAP services must maintain the boundary between general legal information and specific legal advice per EIM21845.17 Fourth, bereavement policies benefit from higher rates of will provision among the workforce, as bereaved dependants with a valid will face a materially less complex probate process.

5. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Considerations

Benefits communication must address the specific vulnerabilities that will writing mitigates. Cohabiting partners -- 6.5 million individuals in England and Wales -- receive nothing under intestacy, regardless of relationship duration.89 Employees with blended families face complex distribution outcomes under the statutory legacy rules. Employees from cultural backgrounds where informal succession arrangements are customary may be unaware that English intestacy law does not recognise such arrangements. A benefits programme that introduces will writing without targeted communication to these groups risks low take-up among the employees who would benefit most.

The CIPD Reward Survey 2026 finding that only 15% of organisations have a formal financial wellbeing policy suggests that many employers have not yet conducted the demographic analysis necessary to identify which employees are most vulnerable to intestacy outcomes.1 The annual benefits review provides the structured opportunity to conduct this analysis and to design communications that address identified gaps. Effective communication should be multi-channel, culturally sensitive, and framed around the practical consequences of intestacy rather than assumptions about family structures.

Conclusion

The annual benefits review should function as a governance discipline, not merely an administrative cycle for renewing existing provisions. The evaluation framework presented in this article -- strategic alignment, cost-benefit analysis, tax treatment decision pathway, delivery model selection, demand assessment, and integration review -- is designed to be transferable to any candidate benefit, with will writing as the applied case study.

The convergence of pension death benefits entering IHT scope and mandatory payrolling commencing from 6 April 2027 creates a defined window during which will writing evaluation is both strategically justified and operationally necessary.1416 Benefits managers conducting reviews in Q3 2026 through Q1 2027 have a time-limited catalyst for assessment. The CIPD data on benefits governance deficiencies -- 22% with no objectives, 15% never reviewing, only 33% achieving alignment -- suggests that the rigour applied to evaluating will writing may itself improve the broader benefits review process.1

The question for benefits managers is not whether will writing belongs in every portfolio, but whether their annual review process is sufficiently structured to make that determination on an evidence-informed basis.


CPD Declaration

Estimated Reading Time: 20 minutes Technical Level: Advanced Practice Areas: Employee Benefits Strategy, Financial Wellbeing, Tax Compliance, Benefits Governance

Learning Objectives

Upon completing this article, practitioners will be able to:

  1. Evaluate the strategic case for introducing will writing during the annual benefits review by applying the six-criteria assessment framework to organisational data
  2. Distinguish between the welfare counselling exemption, trivial benefits exemption, benefit-in-kind treatment, and optional remuneration arrangement rules as they apply to employer-provided will writing
  3. Calculate the total employer cost of will writing provision inclusive of Class 1A NIC under both employer-funded and salary sacrifice delivery models
  4. Analyse the operational implications of the April 2027 pension death benefit IHT changes and mandatory payrolling for benefits portfolio decisions

Competency Mapping

  • CIPD Profession Map: Reward -- Benefits Strategy and Design
  • CIPD Profession Map: People Practice -- Evidence-Based Decision Making

Reflective Questions

  1. How does the current annual benefits review process in the practitioner's organisation evaluate candidate benefits that are not already part of the existing portfolio?
  2. What steps would be required to assess whether the workforce demographic profile -- including cohabitation status, pension fund values, and existing will provision -- supports the introduction of will writing as an employer benefit?
  3. How should benefits managers coordinate the introduction of new taxable benefits with the transition to mandatory payrolling from April 2027?

Professional Disclaimer

The information presented reflects the regulatory and legislative position as of 26 February 2026. Regulations, tax rules, and professional guidance are subject to change. Readers should independently verify all information before acting and seek advice from appropriately qualified solicitors, financial advisors, or other professionals for their specific circumstances.

Neither WUHLD nor the author accepts liability for any actions taken or decisions made based on the content of this article. Professional readers are reminded of their own regulatory obligations and duty of care to their clients.



Footnotes

Footnotes

  1. CIPD Reward Survey: Focus on Employee Benefits (2026). https://www.cipd.org/en/knowledge/reports/reward-surveys/ 2 3 4 5 6

  2. People Management -- "One in five employers set no objectives for staff benefits" (2026). https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/article/1949404/one-five-employers-set-no-objectives-staff-benefits-cipd-research-finds

  3. GOV.UK -- 2025 to 2026 Employer Further Guide to PAYE and NICs (2025). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cwg2-further-guide-to-paye-and-national-insurance-contributions/2025-to-2026-employer-further-guide-to-paye-and-national-insurance-contributions 2 3

  4. ICAEW -- "National insurance increases for employers announced in Budget" (2024). https://www.icaew.com/insights/tax-news/2024/oct-2024/national-insurance-increases-for-employers-announced-in-budget

  5. REBA -- "5 employee benefits trends to watch in 2026" (2025). https://reba.global/resource/5-employee-benefits-trends-to-watch-in-2026.html

  6. Aon -- UK Benefits and Trends Survey 2025. https://www.aon.com/en-gb/capabilities/health-and-benefits/uk-benefits-and-trends-survey

  7. Money and Pensions Service -- "Over half of UK adults don't have a will" (2025). https://maps.org.uk/en/media-centre/press-releases/2025/over-half-of-uk-adults-dont-have-a-will 2

  8. Administration of Estates Act 1925, s 46 (as amended by Inheritance and Trustees' Powers Act 2014). https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo5/15-16/23/section/46 2 3

  9. ONS -- Population Estimates by Marital Status and Living Arrangements, England and Wales: 2024 (2025). https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/bulletins/populationestimatesbymaritalstatusandlivingarrangements/2024 2 3 4

  10. CIPD -- Good Work Index 2025. https://www.cipd.org/globalassets/media/knowledge/knowledge-hub/reports/2025-pdfs/8868-good-work-index-2025-report-web1.pdf 2

  11. CIPD -- "Why should employers take action on employee financial wellbeing?" https://www.cipd.org/uk/views-and-insights/thought-leadership/insight/action-employee-financial-wellbeing/

  12. Zellis -- Financial Wellbeing Report 2025 (November 2025). https://zellis.com/resources/press-and-media/financial-wellbeing-report-2025-reveals-silent-workplace-crisis-as-employee-financial-stress-surges/

  13. GOV.UK -- Keep Britain Working: Final Report (2025). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keep-britain-working-review-final-report/keep-britain-working-final-report 2

  14. GOV.UK -- Inheritance Tax: Unused Pension Funds and Death Benefits (2024, updated 2025). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inheritance-tax-unused-pension-funds-and-death-benefits/inheritance-tax-unused-pension-funds-and-death-benefits 2 3 4

  15. GOV.UK -- Technical Consultation Response: Inheritance Tax on Pensions (2025). https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/inheritance-tax-on-pensions-liability-reporting-and-payment/technical-consultation-inheritance-tax-on-pensions-liability-reporting-and-payment 2

  16. GOV.UK -- Technical Note: Mandatory Payrolling of Benefits in Kind (2025). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reporting-and-paying-income-tax-and-class-1a-national-insurance-contributions-on-benefits-in-kind-in-real-time-an-update/technical-note-mandating-the-reporting-of-benefits-in-kind-and-expenses-through-payroll-software-an-update 2 3 4 5

  17. HMRC Employment Income Manual EIM21845 -- Welfare Counselling (2024). https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/employment-income-manual/eim21845 2 3 4

  18. ITEPA 2003, s 323A -- Trivial Benefits Exemption. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/1/section/323A 2

  19. HMRC Employment Income Manual EIM44030 -- Optional Remuneration Arrangements (2025). https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/employment-income-manual/eim44030 2

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