---
title: Financial Education Benefits for UK Teams | SideUp
description: Help your team feel confident with money. Financial coaching, budgeting tools and courses, plus tax-free Retirement Guidance up to £500 a year.
---
[Skip to main content](https://sideup.com/en-gb/financial-education#main-content)
[](https://sideup.com/?hsLang=en-gb)
- Solutions
Tax-free Benefits
HMRC-compliant, tax free benefits for core needs.
[Homeworking Allowance & Equipment Home working costs and kit](https://sideup.com/en-gb/work-from-home?hsLang=en-gb) [Work-Related Training & Tuition Learning linked to the job](https://sideup.com/en-gb/work-related-training-tuition?hsLang=en-gb) [Nursery Partnership Workplace nursery places](https://sideup.com/en-gb/child-care?hsLang=en-gb) [Bike Share Pass Cycling for the commute](https://sideup.com/en-gb/commuting?hsLang=en-gb) [DSE Eyecare Eye tests and screen glasses](https://sideup.com/en-gb/dse-eyecare?hsLang=en-gb) [Canteen Credit Meals at work](https://sideup.com/en-gb/food?hsLang=en-gb) [Retirement Guidance Pension advice for your team](https://sideup.com/en-gb/financial-education) [Payroll Giving Give to charity before tax](https://sideup.com/en-gb/charitable-giving?hsLang=en-gb)
Lifestyle Benefits
Flexible budgets for everyday life. Give your team the power of choice.
[Wellness & Fitness Gym, mental health & wellbeing](https://sideup.com/en-gb/wellbeing-fitness?hsLang=en-gb) [Pet Care Vets, food and pet insurance](https://sideup.com/en-gb/pet-care?hsLang=en-gb) [Food & Meal Meals, groceries & nutrition](https://sideup.com/en-gb/food?hsLang=en-gb) [Personal Learning & Growth Courses for personal growth](https://sideup.com/en-gb/work-related-training-tuition?hsLang=en-gb) [Commuting Allowance Travel to and from work](https://sideup.com/en-gb/commuting?hsLang=en-gb) [Leisure & Connection Entertainment, coffee and travel](https://sideup.com/en-gb/work-from-home?hsLang=en-gb) [Charitable Giving Support the causes you love](https://sideup.com/en-gb/charitable-giving?hsLang=en-gb)
- Platform
For Employers
Set budgets, track spend and stay compliant, all from one platform.
[Manage Benefits Budgets, eNPS and recognition](https://sideup.com/en-gb/manage-your-platform?hsLang=en-gb) [Integrations Connect with your favourite tools](https://sideup.com/integrations?hsLang=en-gb) [Trust Centre Security, privacy and compliance](https://hi.sideup.com/en-gb/trust)
For Employees
One card and one app for every benefit, so spending is simple.
[How to spend benefits Discover how to use your SideUp card](https://hi.sideup.com/en-gb/how-to-spend-your-benefits)
- [Stayconomics](https://sideup.com/stayconomics?hsLang=en-gb)
Learn with Stayconomics
Explore the ideas, research, and strategies behind workplaces people choose to stay in.
[Blog Data-backed, no-fluff articles on retention, benefits, and the future of work.](https://hi.sideup.com/stayconomics/tag/blog) [Podcast On Youtube and Spotify with the leaders who are actually figuring it out.](https://hi.sideup.com/stayconomics/podcast) [Newsletter The best of what's happening in HR and employee retention, curated, concise, and worth your Monday morning.](https://hi.sideup.com/stayconomics/tag/newsletter) [Events & Webinars Real experts, real questions, real takeaways you can use before the week is over.](https://hi.sideup.com/stayconomics/events-webinars) [Explore by Topics Retention, benefits, HR tech, financial wellness, and more, organized by what you need.](https://hi.sideup.com/stayconomics/topics-1) Guides & Tools Iterative Tools and Guides
- Company
Know more about us
Who we are, who we work with and how to reach us.
[Partnerships Grow with us, as a partner, reseller or local business.](https://sideup.com/en-gb/partnership?hsLang=en-gb) About us The story and the people behind SideUp. Brandbook Our logo, colours and voice, ready to use. [Contact us Questions, ideas or a demo? Say hello.](https://sideup.com/en-gb/contact-us?hsLang=en-gb)
- Log in
- [Business](https://admin.sideup.com)
- [Employee](https://app.sideup.com)
[Book a demo](https://meetings-eu1.hubspot.com/lana-leles/demo)
- Solutions
- Tax-free Benefits
- [Homeworking Allowance & Equipment](https://sideup.com/en-gb/work-from-home?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Work-Related Training & Tuition](https://sideup.com/en-gb/work-related-training-tuition?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Nursery Partnership](https://sideup.com/en-gb/child-care?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Bike Share Pass](https://sideup.com/en-gb/commuting?hsLang=en-gb)
- [DSE Eyecare](https://sideup.com/en-gb/dse-eyecare?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Canteen Credit](https://sideup.com/en-gb/food?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Retirement Guidance](https://sideup.com/en-gb/financial-education)
- [Payroll Giving](https://sideup.com/en-gb/charitable-giving?hsLang=en-gb)
- Lifestyle Benefits
- [Wellness & Fitness](https://sideup.com/en-gb/wellbeing-fitness?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Pet Care](https://sideup.com/en-gb/pet-care?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Food & Meal](https://sideup.com/en-gb/food?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Personal Learning & Growth](https://sideup.com/en-gb/work-related-training-tuition?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Commuting Allowance](https://sideup.com/en-gb/commuting?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Leisure & Connection](https://sideup.com/en-gb/work-from-home?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Charitable Giving](https://sideup.com/en-gb/charitable-giving?hsLang=en-gb)
- Platform
- For Employers
- [Manage Benefits](https://sideup.com/en-gb/manage-your-platform?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Integrations](https://sideup.com/integrations?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Trust Centre](https://hi.sideup.com/en-gb/trust)
- For Employees
- [How to spend benefits](https://hi.sideup.com/en-gb/how-to-spend-your-benefits)
- [Stayconomics](https://sideup.com/stayconomics?hsLang=en-gb)
- Learn with Stayconomics
- [Blog](https://hi.sideup.com/stayconomics/tag/blog)
- [Podcast](https://hi.sideup.com/stayconomics/podcast)
- [Newsletter](https://hi.sideup.com/stayconomics/tag/newsletter)
- [Events & Webinars](https://hi.sideup.com/stayconomics/events-webinars)
- [Explore by Topics](https://hi.sideup.com/stayconomics/topics-1)
- Guides & Tools
- Company
- Know more about us
- [Partnerships](https://sideup.com/en-gb/partnership?hsLang=en-gb)
- About us
- Brandbook
- [Contact us](https://sideup.com/en-gb/contact-us?hsLang=en-gb)
- Log in
- [Business](https://admin.sideup.com)
- [Employee](https://app.sideup.com)
- [Book a demo](https://meetings-eu1.hubspot.com/lana-leles/demo)
Financial Education
# Give your team the confidence to master their money
Money worries follow people to work. Give your team a flexible budget for financial coaching, budgeting tools and courses, plus tax-free Retirement Guidance, so they can plan with confidence.
[Talk to a benefits expert](https://meetings-eu1.hubspot.com/lana-leles/demo)
The money stress gap
## Money worries don't clock out
Almost a third (31%) of UK employees say money worries have hurt their performance at work, rising to 37% among those earning under £40,000. And one in four UK adults has low financial resilience.
You can't fix every bill. But you can give your team the knowledge and support to take control, **on their terms**.
*Sources: CIPD Good Work Index 2025; FCA Financial Lives survey*
Compliance Engine
## Complex tax law. Simple software.
Your CFO fears audits. Your HR team fears paperwork. SideUp eliminates both with a fully automated compliance engine.
### 1. Verify
SideUp connects directly to loan servicers to confirm the debt is real, active, and eligible for Section 127 support. No manual uploads, no fraud risk.
### 2. Pay
Funds never touch the employee's bank account. We route payments straight to the loan provider, ensuring 100% tax-free compliance.
### 3. Document
Come tax season, your team gets a single, audit-ready export of every payment. Zero manual reconciliation required.
Loan Verified
Sent to
Loan Servicer
IRS FORM 1098-E
What's covered
## Real help, not another webinar
Every employee's finances look different. Let them choose the support that fits where they are right now.
01
### Financial coaching
One-to-one sessions with a coach or financial planner.
02
### Budgeting tools
Money management and budgeting app subscriptions.
03
### Courses & workshops
Personal finance, investing basics and saving for a first home.
04
### Debt advice
Help building a plan to manage and pay down debt.
## Money coaching or Retirement Guidance? Here's how HMRC sees it
Most financial education is taxable. Guidance on pensions is the exception, up to £500 a year. Here's the difference in plain English, and where SideUp fits in.
Their choice
### Financial Education budget
Lifestyle benefit
Taxable
What it covers
Financial coaching, budgeting apps, personal finance courses and debt advice.
How it works
You set a budget. Employees pay eligible providers with their SideUp card.
SideUp's role
Runs the whole benefit for you.
For their retirement
### Retirement Guidance
Section 308C ITEPA 2003
Tax-free, up to £500 a year
What it covers
Advice on pensions, including the general financial and tax issues around saving for retirement, on any of their pensions.
How SideUp keeps it tax-free
**Capped at £500.** Per employee, per tax year. Anything above that is taxable.
**Open to everyone.** Every employee, or every employee at a location, can use it.
**Pensions only.** General money coaching sits in the Lifestyle budget instead.
SideUp's role
Runs Retirement Guidance as its own pot, tracked against the £500 limit.
A summary, not tax advice. Check your arrangement with a tax adviser.
## See How SideUp Works in 4 Easy Steps
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01\.
### Choose your benefits
Decide which benefits you want to offer and who they apply to.
02\.
### Implement your policy
Set your budget, eligibility rules, and spending limits. Our platform handles the compliance and guardrails automatically.
03\.
### Connect to payroll
Seamlessly integrate with your existing payroll provider. We handle the tax implications and reporting for you.
04\.
### Join the SideUp platform
Invite your team. They get their cards, you get the credit for being an amazing employer. Everyone wins.
## Set it up once. Watch their confidence grow.
Most spending happens on the card, so there's almost nothing to chase. Here's how it works, from day one.
1. 1
### Add your employees
Sync your team from your HR system, or add them manually. Either way, it takes minutes.
2. 2
### Set up your programme
Choose your benefits, decide when they're paid out, and pick how your company funds them.
3. 3
### We invite your team
SideUp emails each employee an invitation to the app. Once they've completed onboarding, their card is issued.
4. 4
### Manage it month by month
Track spend and take-up, and keep your compliance information in one place, ready whenever you need it.
Financial Education
Oliver Hughes•••• 7390
Retirement Guidance session
Tax-free, up to £500 a year
£150.00
Budgeting app
Monthly plan
£7.99
Retirement Guidance this tax year
£150 of £500
Illustrative example
REAL IMPACT, MEASURED IN RESULTS
## The numbers don't lie
Based on SideUp’s internal research comparing clients **with** vs. **without** flexible stipends. When you give employees choice, the numbers speak for themselves.
+35
eNPS Points
Clients using SideUp consistently score +35 points higher than those relying on standard perks.
Is your culture healthy or at risk?
Get your free Diagnostic →
\+ 23%
Profit
Employees who are happy with their benefits are more productive and can increase a company’s revenue by up to 23%.
10x
ROI
For every $1 spent on SideUp stipends, companies save $10 in retention costs and productivity gains.
ELEVATE YOUR BENEFITS
## Money is just the start
### [Financial Student Loan & Tuittion Repayment assistance, tuition reimbursement, refinancing support. Invest in their future.  Learn more](https://sideup.com/student-loan-repayment-benefits?hsLang=en-gb)
### [Health Wellness & Fitness Gym, therapy, meditation, fitness classes. Support the whole person.  Learn more](https://sideup.com/wellness-fitness?hsLang=en-gb)
### [REMOTE Work from Home Internet, ergonomic setup, coffee, coworking spaces. Power their productivity anywhere.  Learn more](https://sideup.com/work-from-home?hsLang=en-gb)
### [FAMILY Family Care Childcare, elder care, pet care, fertility support. Be there for their loved ones.  Learn more](https://sideup.com/family-care?hsLang=en-gb)
### [Essential Utilities & Essentials Phone bills, electricity, gas, water, internet. Cover the basics that matter. .png) Learn more](https://sideup.com/utilities-essentials-bills?hsLang=en-gb)
### [Lifestyle Food Lunch stipends, grocery delivery, meal kits, coffee runs. Fuel their day. .png) Learn more](https://sideup.com/food?hsLang=en-gb)
The SideUp Marketplace
## Every pound goes further. And stays local.
Our marketplace brings your team closer to the independent cafés, gyms, shops and services in their own neighbourhood. When they spend their SideUp budget there, they unlock exclusive discounts and freebies, so the same benefit buys more.
✓
Exclusive discounts for SideUp members
✓
Freebies and extras from local partners
✓
Your benefits budget, backing local businesses
[List your business](https://sideup.com/en-gb/marketplace?type=list&hsLang=en-gb)[Nominate a local favourite](https://sideup.com/en-gb/marketplace?type=nominate&hsLang=en-gb)
A Saturday on the high street
The Corner Café
£8.95
Marketplace discount
−£1.35
Northside Yoga Studio
£12.00
Free mat hire
Freebie
Saved this month
£9.60
Illustrative example
FAQ
## Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about financial education benefits in the UK.
What is a financial education benefit?
A budget from your company for financial coaching, money management tools and courses that help employees feel more confident with their finances.
Is a financial education benefit taxable?
As a rule, yes. Financial Education is a Lifestyle benefit, so it's treated as a taxable benefit. There's one important exception: Retirement Guidance.
Is Retirement Guidance tax-free?
Yes, up to £500 per employee per tax year, under section 308C ITEPA 2003. It covers advice on pensions and the general financial and tax issues around them, as long as it's open to all your employees, or all employees at a location. Anything above £500 in a tax year is taxable.
What can employees spend it on?
Sessions with a financial coach or planner, budgeting and money management apps, personal finance courses and workshops, and debt advice. You choose which categories are eligible.
How much should we offer?
You decide. Set a monthly or annual Financial Education budget per employee, and a separate Retirement Guidance pot of up to £500 a year if you'd like to offer it tax-free.
Does it help with retention?
Yes. Money worries show up at work as lost focus and time off, and financially stressed employees are more likely to look elsewhere. Helping them feel in control pays off in focus and loyalty.
How does SideUp handle it?
Employees pay eligible coaches, apps, course providers and pension advisers with their SideUp card. Financial Education and Retirement Guidance are tracked separately and automatically.
## Help your team feel good about money
### Turn money worries into financial confidence.
Because when employees feel in control of their finances, they show up more focused, committed and ready to stay. Book a demo to see Financial Education in action.
[](https://sideup.com?hsLang=en-gb)
Pay your team more. Spend less.
### Tax Free Benefits
- [Homeworking Allowance & Equipment](https://sideup.com/en-gb/work-from-home?hsLang=en-gb)
- [DSE Eyecare](https://sideup.com/en-gb/dse-eyecare?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Work-Related Training & Tuition](https://sideup.com/en-gb/work-related-training-tuition?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Canteen Credit](https://sideup.com/en-gb/food?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Canteen Credit](https://sideup.com/food?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Bike Share Pass](https://sideup.com/en-gb/commuting?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Retirement Guidance](https://sideup.com/en-gb/financial-education)
- [Nursery Partnership](https://sideup.com/en-gb/child-care?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Payroll Giving](https://sideup.com/en-gb/charitable-giving?hsLang=en-gb)
### Lifestyle
- [Child Care](https://sideup.com/en-gb/child-care?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Pet Care](https://sideup.com/en-gb/pet-care?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Wellbeing & Fitness](https://sideup.com/en-gb/wellbeing-fitness?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Food & Meal](https://sideup.com/en-gb/food?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Financial Education](https://sideup.com/en-gb/financial-education)
- [Commuting Allowance](https://sideup.com/en-gb/commuting?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Leisure & Connection](https://sideup.com/en-gb/commuting?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Charitable Giving](https://sideup.com/en-gb/charitable-giving?hsLang=en-gb)
### Plataform
- [Manage your Platform](https://sideup.com/en-gb/how-to-spend-your-benefits?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Integrations](https://sideup.com/en-gb/integrations?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Trust](https://sideup.com/en-gb/trust3?hsLang=en-gb)
- [How to spend benefits](https://sideup.com/en-gb/how-to-spend-your-benefits?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Business Platform](https://sideup.com/en-gb/admin.sideup.com?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Employee Portal](https://sideup.com/en-gb/customer.sideup.com?hsLang=en-gb)
### Company
- [About us](https://sideup.com/en-gb/?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Partnerships](https://sideup.com/en-gb/partnership?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Brandbook](https://sideup.com/en-gb/?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Terms & Conditions](https://sideup.com/en-gb/terms-conditions?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Privacy Policy](https://sideup.com/en-gb/privacy-policy?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Contact us](https://sideup.com/en-gb/contact-us?hsLang=en-gb)
SideUp is not a bank. SideUp Visa® cards are issued by Stripe Payments UK Limited, an electronic money institution authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (firm reference number 900461) for the issuing of electronic money and the provision of payment services. Cards are issued under the Visa card scheme pursuant to a licence from Visa Europe Limited. SideUp Limited. Registered in England & Wales, Company No. 15200782. Registered office: 35 Charles Square, London, England, N1 6HT. Information on this website is a general summary, not tax advice.
© 2026 SideUp. All rights reserved.
Book a demo
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