Hi, there!
A big thank you to everyone who joined us for today’s roundtable!
If you weren’t able to join us, you can find a short summary of what was discussed, along with an audio recording of the session below.
Hosted by Stephen Follows (Catsnake: The Story Agency) and Helen Smith (RNIB), this roundtable focused on how inheritance tax changes could affect unused pension pots for charitable legacies from April 2027. We discussed how charities can prepare for the change, communicate with their supporters and respond to potential legacy giving opportunities.
We were delighted to be joined by:
Lucinda Frostick, Director of Remember A Charity. Lucinda emphasised potential charitable opportunities and how to communicate with supporters. She stated that charitable gifts would remain tax-free and that tax incentives could encourage professoinal advisers to talk more about legacy giving with their clients. Lucinda urged charities to focus on inspiring conversations with their supporters, including the potential for easier charitable giving from pensions, but not to overwhelm their supporters with technical information before the changes are clearer.
Paul Browne, Head of Professional Standards for the Institute of Legacy Management. Paul focused on the pension changes and their effect on the estate administration. He explained that including unused pensions pots could make more estates subject to IHT and make pension values harder to obtain. Paul cautiously stated that this could delay charities’ ability to accrue legacy income, and stressed that final HMRC guidance is vital, with charities planning for a potential six-month delay.
Sinem Bilen-Onabanjo, Head of Legacy Engagement at Oxfam UK. Sinem described Oxfam’s preparation and support for donors when the changes are initiated. She explained that Oxfam will audit supporter and internal information, brief their teams, and consider a light-touch webinar to update existing pledgers when the changes are clearer. However, Sinem stressed that this will be framed as useful guidance instead of a request for more money, while taking a cautious approach with new supporters.
Highlights included:
Including unused pension pots in inheritance tax could complicate estate valuations. This stresses why the missing HMRC details are vital for legacy income.
The inheritance-tax changes can become a useful stewardship touchpoint that gives existing supporters a reason to revisit their plans and reconnect with charities.
Reviewing charity materials and offering light-touch updates and inspiring communication with existing supporters rather than overwhelming technical information is more beneficial for charity/supporter relationships.
“I don’t know” is a valid response for supporters for now, as we wait for more HMRC information to be revealed.
Thank you for listening in and keep your eyes open for Gifts from Pensions Part 2 when Technical Note 3 is released!
Many thanks,
Stephen and the Legacy Roundtable Team