Pension Inheritance Tax and Access to Work

It's six months until changes bringing unspent pension pots into Inheritance Tax come into force. From 6th April, any money left in pension pots will be added to the rest of the deceased’s estate and be liable for Inheritance Tax. This will be due if the total estate exceeds the threshold where the tax begins, which can be as low as £325,000. At the moment pension funds can be passed to heirs free of Inheritance Tax. The government has said that pension funds were being used not to live on in retirement but to pass wealth on to heirs tax-free instead. What might this mean for your plans?

Criminals stole more than £900 million from tens of thousands of victims of investment fraud in the last financial year according to the latest report from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau. The amount stolen was up a fifth and the number of victims also jumped up - by a staggering 37%. This is why the National Crime Agency has this week started a campaign aimed at cutting this most devastating of crimes.

And, why are some disabled people who already receive support through the government’s Access to Work scheme having their funding reduced or removed?

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporters: Dan Whitworth
Researchers: Jo Krasner and Amber Mehmood
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson

(First broadcast on Radio 4 at 12pm Saturday 3rd October 2026)