Pensions Enter Inheritance Tax in April 2027: The Marketing Opportunity for Advisers

Getting the facts right is the foundation of any compliant campaign, so it is worth setting out exactly what is changing and what is not.

From 6 April 2027, most unused pension funds and pension death benefits will be included in the value of a person's estate for inheritance tax. Until then, defined contribution pensions have generally sat outside the estate, which is why so much planning has treated them as a vehicle for passing on wealth. The change was confirmed and legislated in the Finance Act 2026, so this is no longer a proposal or a consultation.

Key points for your marketing team and advisers:

• Scope. Most unused pension funds and death benefits are brought into the estate. Death-in-service benefits paid from registered pension schemes are excluded.
• Responsibility. Personal representatives will be responsible for reporting and paying inheritance tax due on pensions. That adds a new administrative dimension for executors, who are often family members.
• Thresholds. The nil-rate band remains £325,000 and the residence nil-rate band £175,000, both frozen. Frozen thresholds combined with growing pension pots mean more families will be affected.
• Detail still to come. Further technical detail may follow at the Autumn Budget. Your content should acknowledge this and be reviewed once any announcement is made.

Why does this create demand? Because it overturns a planning assumption that many people built their retirement around. Consider a couple in their late sixties with a house, ISAs and two substantial pension pots. They may have deliberately drawn on ISAs and cash first to preserve the pensions for their children. Under the new rules, that strategy may no longer achieve what they intended, and the order in which they draw on assets, the way they gift, and how they structure their wills may all need revisiting.

There is also a second audience: the adult children who will be executors and beneficiaries. They will face a more complex estate administration and may want to understand what is coming.

This combination of a fixed date, a reversed assumption and a new burden on executors is exactly what produces search interest, enquiries and referrals. Some of that interest will arrive anyway. Firms that plan deliberately will capture more of it, and capture the better-qualified part of it, than firms that wait for the phone to ring.

It is important not to overstate the impact for any individual. Many estates will remain below the thresholds, and the spouse and civil partner exemption continues to be relevant for many couples. Accurate, balanced explanations will serve you better than headlines suggesting everyone will lose a large share of their pension.

A fixed date gives you a natural campaign structure. Rather than running a single burst, plan in phases that match how consumer awareness and urgency will build over the coming months.

Phase one: awareness and education (now to the Autumn Budget). Many people affected have not yet heard about the change, or have heard only fragments. This phase is about explaining what is happening, who it might affect and why it may be worth reviewing plans. Content, email to existing clients, LinkedIn thought leadership and search campaigns on informational terms work well. Keep calls to action soft: a guide download, a short explainer video or a webinar.

Phase two: update and refresh (immediately after the Autumn Budget). If further technical detail is announced, refresh content quickly. Prepare a template article and email in advance so you can publish an accurate summary within a day or two. Being first with a clear, correct explanation builds authority and captures search traffic at a peak moment.

Phase three: review and action (new year to early spring 2027). As the date approaches, urgency rises naturally. Shift calls to action towards booking a review meeting. Paid search on higher-intent terms, retargeting of earlier content visitors and solicitor referrals should peak here.

Phase four: after the change (from April 2027). The deadline does not end the opportunity. Once the rules are in force, families will still need to restructure plans, and executors will begin dealing with estates that include pensions. Plan follow-on content for executors and for people who did not act before the deadline.

A few planning principles help:

• Capacity first. Estimate how many review meetings your advisers can realistically hold each month and build your lead targets backwards from that. A campaign that generates more enquiries than you can serve will damage show rates and reputation.
• Budget realistically. Estate planning leads through paid search typically sit within the £60 to £130 CPL range, with the most competitive terms at the higher end. The lead budget calculator can help you translate meeting targets into spend.
• Avoid false urgency. The deadline is real, but most planning does not have to be completed before 6 April 2027. Do not imply that people must act by a date if that is not true for their circumstances.
• Coordinate internally. Make sure paraplanners, administrators and compliance know the timeline, so meetings are prepared well and promotions are approved in good time.

Write the plan down, with dates, owners and budgets for each phase. It sounds basic, but firms that treat this as a structured campaign rather than a series of ad hoc posts tend to see far more consistent results.

The change affects a broad population in principle, but the people most likely to need and value advice are much more specific. Defining audiences tightly improves both lead quality and compliance, because messaging can be tailored to genuine needs.

Primary audience: 55 to 75 year olds with large defined contribution pots. This is the core. People in this age range with substantial pension savings, often alongside property and other investments, are most likely to have estates above the combined thresholds. They are also old enough to be thinking about legacy and young enough to have time to adjust plans. Within this group, couples with a combined estate including a main residence are especially relevant because of how the nil-rate bands interact.

Those who used pensions as an IHT shelter. Some clients and prospects deliberately preserved pensions and spent other assets first, precisely because pensions sat outside the estate. They may also have made significant pension contributions late in life for the same reason. For this group the change directly affects a strategy they chose, so the need to review is immediate and personal. Your existing client book is the best place to find them.

Retired clients in drawdown with low withdrawal rates. People who have taken little income from drawdown, intending to pass the fund on, may want to reconsider withdrawal levels, gifting and the use of other allowances.

Adult children and future executors. People in their forties and fifties whose parents have significant pensions may be worried about the administration they will face. They can be a route to the parents, and they are a valuable relationship in their own right for the longer-term retention of family wealth.

Business owners and professionals with SIPPs. Owners who have built up large self-invested pensions, sometimes holding commercial property, may face particularly complex questions.

Audiences to treat with care include very elderly prospects and anyone showing signs of vulnerability, such as recent bereavement or ill health. They may need more time, more support and the involvement of family members, and your marketing and follow-up should be adapted accordingly.

For paid channels, translate these audiences into targeting: age bands, interests and lookalikes from existing estate planning clients on Meta, search terms combining pension and inheritance tax on Google, and job title and seniority targeting on LinkedIn for business owners and senior professionals. For existing clients, segment your CRM by pension value, estate value and whether previous advice relied on pensions being outside the estate.

The more precisely you describe who a campaign is for, the easier it becomes to write messages that feel relevant rather than alarming, and to qualify enquiries before an adviser spends time on them.

Inheritance tax is an emotive subject. Headlines about the taxman taking your children's inheritance, or warnings that families will lose a huge share of their pensions, may generate clicks. They are also exactly the kind of messaging that risks breaching the fair, clear and not misleading standard and the consumer understanding outcome under the Consumer Duty.

Fear-based messaging also tends to perform worse over the full funnel. It attracts anxious prospects who may not be affected, increases no-shows when people calm down, and can damage trust with the clients you most want to keep. A calmer, more informative tone tends to bring in prospects who are genuinely ready to plan.

Some principles for messaging:

• Lead with the change, not the loss. Explain what is happening and when. For example: from April 2027, most unused pensions will count towards your estate for inheritance tax. Find out whether your plans need reviewing.
• Make the scope clear. Note that many estates will remain below the thresholds and that the impact depends on individual circumstances. This helps unaffected people self-select out.
• Avoid precise loss figures in headlines. If you use worked examples, make them clearly hypothetical, show the assumptions and keep them in the body content where the context is visible.
• Do not imply that action is mandatory. Reviewing plans may be sensible, but nobody is required to take advice before April 2027.
• Balance benefit with cost. If you promote a review, be transparent about what it costs or what an initial meeting involves.
• Respect vulnerability. Avoid messaging that might distress recently bereaved people or those in poor health. Consider suppressing certain audiences on paid social.

Positive framings tend to work well. Talk about clarity, control, family conversations and making sure plans still reflect what someone wants. For example, messaging that invites people to make sure their pension still does what they intended for their family is both accurate and motivating.

When writing content, separate tax facts from planning ideas. State the rule clearly, then describe the kinds of things an adviser might look at, such as the order assets are drawn, gifting from income, the role of wills and trusts, and life cover. Avoid presenting any specific strategy as suitable for everyone.

Finally, document your approach. Keep a record of why messages were chosen, which audiences were targeted or excluded, and how outcomes were monitored. If your campaign is ever reviewed, being able to show deliberate consideration of consumer understanding and vulnerability is valuable evidence of good practice.

The general channel picture for estate planning is covered in our separate channel strategy article linked in the introduction. For the April 2027 pension change specifically, the emphasis shifts, because the audience, the timeline and the triggering event are so clearly defined.

Existing clients first. Your own book is the most valuable channel, with the lowest acquisition cost. Segment by pension value and whether previous advice relied on pensions sitting outside the estate. Write to these clients proactively, explaining the change and inviting a review. This is good service as much as marketing, and it protects retention. Ask, gently, whether family members might also find the information useful.

Google Ads. Search interest will grow as the date approaches and as mainstream media coverage increases. Build campaigns around combinations of pension, inheritance tax, death benefits and estate planning, plus executor-focused terms. Expect CPCs in the £8 to £25 range on the highest-intent terms and CPL typically between £60 and £130 with strong landing pages. Bid more cautiously on very broad informational terms early, and increase investment in the months before April.

Meta. Facebook and Instagram are effective for reaching people aged 55 to 75 at scale, particularly with educational content such as short videos and guides. Lead forms can work, but quality is usually better when people pass through a landing page with qualifying questions. Remember that special ad category rules may limit some targeting options for financial services.

LinkedIn. Best suited to business owners, senior professionals and those with SIPPs. CPLs are higher, typically £100 to £180, but case values for this audience can justify the cost. Thought leadership from advisers, rather than ads alone, tends to build credibility.

Email and webinars. A short webinar explaining the change, with time for questions, is an excellent conversion step. Promote it to clients, prospects and introducers. Record it and use it as evergreen content.

Retargeting. Many people will read about the change long before they are ready to talk. Retargeting content visitors over the following months, with progressively more action-oriented messages, captures them when urgency rises.

Local and community. Seminars at local venues, talks to professional networks and partnerships with community organisations can be effective for older audiences who prefer face-to-face contact.

Across all channels, track enquiries by campaign and channel through to booked meeting, attended meeting and client. The goal is not the cheapest lead but the most cost-effective new client, and the best evidence on that will come from your own data as the campaign runs. Our estate planning case study shows how full-funnel tracking changes channel decisions.

Content does the heavy lifting in a campaign like this. Most affected people will research before they enquire, and the firms that explain the change most clearly will earn the trust that converts into meetings.

A content plan for the April 2027 change might include:

A cornerstone explainer. A clear, comprehensive guide to what changes, who it affects, what is excluded, what personal representatives will need to do and what remains uncertain. Update it whenever new detail emerges, and show the date of the latest update. This page should be your main organic search asset and the destination for much of your paid traffic.

Situation-based articles. Short pieces for specific circumstances work well for both search and social:

• What the change means for couples with two pensions and a family home.
• What to consider if you have been drawing ISAs first to protect your pension.
• What executors need to know about pensions and inheritance tax.
• How the change affects business owners with large SIPPs.
• Questions to ask before making large gifts.

Hypothetical worked examples. Illustrate the mechanics with clearly fictional households, showing assumptions and noting that individual outcomes will differ. Keep figures simple and avoid suggesting specific results.

Video. Short videos of an adviser explaining one point at a time build familiarity and trust, especially with older audiences on Facebook and YouTube. A face and a voice can make a complex topic feel manageable.

Checklists and guides. A downloadable checklist, such as questions to review before April 2027, gives a reason to share contact details and opens an email nurture sequence.

Executor content. Guidance for adult children who may become personal representatives is an under-served area. It builds relationships with the next generation and can lead to introductions to parents.

Some content principles specific to this topic:

• Always separate confirmed facts from areas where detail may follow at the Autumn Budget.
• Avoid giving the impression that content is personal advice; include appropriate wording.
• Have content reviewed by someone with technical estate planning knowledge as well as compliance.
• If you use AI tools to draft, check every technical statement carefully, because errors on tax rules are easy to make and costly to your credibility.

Distribute content through every channel you use: website, email, social, LinkedIn articles and introducer newsletters. Repurpose the cornerstone explainer into short posts, carousel graphics and video scripts. Consistent, accurate content over several months will build the recognition that makes later calls to action work.

Measure content by assisted conversions and enquiries, not just page views. A guide that is read by fewer people but converts well into review meetings is more valuable than a popular article that never leads to a conversation.

Two practical levers can significantly lift results from this campaign: working with solicitors and building landing pages and offers that convert interest into meetings.

Solicitor introducers. Private client and wills solicitors will be dealing with the same change. Their clients will need wills reviewed, trusts considered and estate administration planned with pensions now in scope. Many solicitors do not give financial advice and welcome a trusted adviser to whom they can introduce clients. Equally, advisers will identify clients who need legal work.

To build these relationships:

• Offer a joint briefing for solicitors on the pensions aspect of the change, focusing on what personal representatives will need to do.
• Propose co-hosted client events or webinars covering both the legal and financial planning angles.
• Agree a simple, two-way introduction process with clear expectations about speed of contact and feedback.
• Ensure any arrangements respect professional rules on both sides and are transparent to clients.

A structured referral system helps you track introductions, response times and outcomes, so both firms can see the relationship working.

Landing pages. A dedicated landing page for the April 2027 change should include:

• A clear headline about the change and the date.
• A short, accurate summary of what is changing and who may be affected.
• A list of situations where a review may be worthwhile.
• Information on your process and fees.
• A short form with qualifying questions such as approximate pension value, approximate estate value, marital status and main concern.
• Regulatory information and appropriate risk wording.

Well-built pages in this sector typically convert 2% to 6% of visitors. Our guide to landing pages that convert explains layout, testing and form design in more detail.

Offer ideas. Offers should give genuine value without creating pressure:

• A pension and inheritance tax review meeting, with clear information about what it covers and costs.
• A downloadable checklist of questions to consider before April 2027.
• A webinar place with a recorded version for those who cannot attend live.
• A family meeting option, inviting adult children to join a review.

Avoid time-limited discounts that suggest people must act immediately, and avoid describing anything as free if there are conditions attached. Make the next step clear and easy.

Once enquiries arrive, speed matters. Contact prospects promptly, confirm meetings in writing and send a short reminder the day before. Prepare a brief pre-meeting questionnaire so the adviser can make the first conversation useful. Show rate is often where these campaigns win or lose, and a well-organised follow-up process is the cheapest way to improve it.

The pension inheritance tax change gives adviser firms a rare combination of a fixed date, a clearly defined audience and a genuine planning need. Here is a practical checklist to turn that into a well-run campaign.

This month.

• Confirm the facts your team will use: from 6 April 2027 most unused pensions and death benefits fall within the estate, death-in-service benefits from registered schemes are excluded, personal representatives report and pay, and the nil-rate band and residence nil-rate band remain frozen at £325,000 and £175,000.
• Segment your client book by pension value, estate value and whether previous advice relied on pensions being outside the estate.
• Estimate adviser capacity for review meetings each month through to spring 2027.

Next four to six weeks.

• Publish a cornerstone explainer and two or three situation-based articles.
• Write to priority clients explaining the change and inviting a review.
• Build a dedicated landing page with qualifying questions and transparent fees.
• Set up tracking from enquiry to booked meeting, attended meeting and new client.
• Prepare a template update ready to publish if further technical detail follows at the Autumn Budget.

Before the end of the year.

• Launch Google Ads on pension and inheritance tax terms, sized to your capacity.
• Test Meta campaigns aimed at 55 to 75 year olds with educational content.
• Run a webinar for clients, prospects and introducers.
• Approach two or three private client solicitors with a joint briefing offer.

January to April 2027.

• Increase paid search investment as urgency builds.
• Retarget earlier content visitors with review meeting offers.
• Refresh content with any new detail and keep the update date visible.
• Monitor show rates and adjust follow-up processes.

After April 2027.

• Shift to content for executors and those who did not act before the date.
• Review results by channel, comparing cost per new client rather than cost per lead.
• Build the best-performing elements into your ongoing estate planning marketing.

Throughout, keep messaging calm, accurate and balanced. Make it easy for people who are not affected to recognise that, and make it easy for those who are to take a sensible next step. Document your decisions on audiences, tone and vulnerability so you can evidence good outcomes under the Consumer Duty.

If you want help planning a compliant pensions and inheritance tax campaign, forecasting lead volumes for your area or building landing pages that convert, speak to our team. We work with adviser firms across the UK on a performance basis and can help you prepare well ahead of April 2027.