How to set up a financial wellbeing programme
A financial wellbeing programme for a small business takes seven steps: survey staff anonymously, set a budget, check the tax on each part, put pay and pensions in order, write a short policy, launch it, and measure take-up each quarter. Buzz's guidance tier costs £1 per employee a month with a £99 minimum, so a firm of 40 pays £1,188 a year. The CIPD's February 2026 reward survey found 15% of organisations have a formal financial wellbeing policy or strategy.
Figures checked 30 October 2026.
Seven steps
Survey your staff
Twelve questions on pay, savings, borrowing, pensions and stress, run anonymously and reported for groups of ten or more. Survey questions
Set a budget
Guidance for all staff, one-to-one plans for those who opt in, and who pays for each. Cost per employee
Check the tax
The first £500 a year of pensions information or advice is tax-free; other paid coaching is usually a taxable benefit. Taxable benefits
Put pay and pensions in order
Automatic enrolment, salary sacrifice and the £2,000 cap from April 2029. Salary sacrifice calculator
Write a policy
One page covering what you provide, confidentiality, pay advances and debt help. Policy template
Launch
A launch email, a briefing for managers, a webinar for the whole team and a note in the new-starter pack.
Measure
Sign-ups, sessions and topics each quarter, and the same survey again a year later.
What it costs with Buzz
| Employees | Guidance a year | Money Road Maps if one in ten opts in | First year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | £1,188 | £299 | £1,487 |
| 40 | £1,188 | £1,196 | £2,384 |
| 100 | £1,200 | £2,990 | £4,190 |
Guidance is £1 per employee a month with a £99 monthly minimum. Money Road Maps are £299 for each employee who takes one, paid by you, the employee or split.
How many employers offer it
The CIPD's 2025 health and wellbeing survey found 26% of private-sector small and medium employers offer financial education and support to all employees, against 53% of large private-sector employers. In LCP's 2026 survey of 10,000 employees, 57% said financial concerns had affected their work.
Common questions
How long does it take to launch?
With Buzz, two weeks: a short call in week one to agree headcount, tiers and the launch date, then the launch email and webinar in week two.
Do we need a policy?
No law requires one. A short policy tells staff what is on offer and that what they tell a coach stays confidential.
What should we measure?
Sign-ups and sessions each quarter, the topics raised, and the anonymous survey results year on year.
Can a very small business do this?
Yes. A firm of five pays the £99 monthly minimum, or pays only for individual Money Road Maps at £299 each for the employees who want one.
Related guides
Guides for employers
- Financial wellbeing cost per employee in the UK
- Employee financial wellbeing for small businesses
- Financial coaching for employees
- Is employer-paid financial coaching a taxable benefit?
- The £500 pensions advice exemption for employers
- What the 2029 salary sacrifice cap costs employers
- Employee financial wellbeing survey questions
- Automatic enrolment duties for small employers
- Earned wage access and salary advances for employees
- Supporting employees through life changes
- Financial wellbeing policy template
- Financial wellbeing providers' prices compared
- Salary sacrifice calculator
- Benefit or pay rise calculator