
Coronavirus: what employers and self-employed people need to know
Business uncertainty and personal finances
Many people in the UK face uncertainty as the Covid-19 situation develops, not least when it comes to their financial wellbeing.
This is a key time to communicate with your employees on matters such as pay, pensions contributions and general wellbeing.
If your business is facing restructure, sale or insolvency, or has staff on furlough, this causes natural concern. For some of your workforce, the changes may result in redundancy, redeployment, retraining or retiring early, but it will also bring a need to review their financial situation and questions about how best to handle the impact on their finances.
How we can help
The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) was set up by government, and helps people make the most of their money and pensions.
Free, impartial money guidance
We offer impartial and free information and guidance on pensions and money issues, as well as supporting the provision and funding of debt advice. You can contact MaPS across a range of channels with any money and pension related question or issue that you may have.
We will not tell you what you need to do or what products you should choose, but we will help you think through the implications and, when necessary, talk you though how you can access regulated financial advice and stay safe in your financial dealings.
Safety from scams
We operate under a number of brands. Our service will never contact you out of the blue, recommend any product and it is illegal to impersonate MaPS, Pension Wise, The Pensions Advisory Service or Money Advice Service. We know that when local areas are affected by the closure of a major business or pension scheme change people can become targets for unscrupulous practice. Our role is to offer a safe place to go with any money and pensions worries that you may have.
Continued services, accessible remotely
Throughout this uncertain period, our focus will remain on delivering for our customers and helping everyone make the most of their money and pensions.
Our services are accessible through a range of remote channels, such as online, via free phone, webchat, TypeTalk and WhatsApp.
A summary of the three services that make up the Money and Pensions Service is outlined below.
The Money Advice Service

www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk
Money guidance helpline: 0800 138 7777
The Money Advice Service gives free, unbiased money guidance online, via free phone, webchat, TypeTalk and WhatsApp. Debt advice is also provided through a variety of partners across the UK.
The service was set up by government and is paid for by a statutory levy on the financial services industry, raised through the Financial Conduct Authority. Its statutory objectives are to enhance the understanding and knowledge of members of the public about financial matters (including the UK financial system); and to enhance the ability of members of the public to manage their own financial affairs.
The Pensions Advisory Service

www.pensionsadvisoryservice.org.uk
Pensions helpline: 0800 011 3797
The Pensions Advisory Service provides expert, free, independent and impartial guidance to members of UK pension schemes on pension and retirement saving issues.
In 2018-19 we provided personalised pensions guidance to 217,000 customers across a wide range of pension related issues and in particular to people facing particular difficulties or challenges – whether that be things like thinking through the impact on pensions of a divorce or offering support making important decisions such as whether to transfer valuable pension benefits.
We offer our services through a range of channels: freephone telephone helplines, webchat, digitally enabled virtual appointments, email, hardcopy mail, referral, outreach and a dedicated website. There is no question too small or too big.
Pension Wise

www.pensionwise.gov.uk
Appointment booking line: 0800 138 3944
The remit of Pension Wise is to offer anyone over the age of 50 with a defined contribution pension a free appointment to talk through the options they have available to take their pensions savings, what things to think about and how to avoid falling victim to a pension scam.
Pension Wise appointments can be had either by phone or face to face through our network of Citizens Advice partners but people can also access information and check what type of pension arrangement they have online at www.pensionwise.gov.uk.
When a company is making redundancies or goes insolvent, this is a particularly important time to review your pension situation particularly if you are likely to receive any type of additional payment. If you have a defined contribution workplace pension are aged 50 or above you may find it helpful to book a Pension Wise appointment.
Business and personal finance guides
Don’t know where to start with managing money? Try our Money Navigator Tool for action plans based on your situation.
For more information on the tool and how to share it with your employees and customers, download our Money Navigator Tool comms toolkit.
Our websites and those of our partners contain guides and tools that may be useful, on topics including:
Coronavirus
Our step-by-step guides include simple things you can do to manage your money during this time, if you’re employed, self-employed or worried about losing your job.
- Coronavirus – what it means for you and what you’re entitled to
- Coronavirus and your money
- Guide to mortgage payment holidays
- What to do when someone dies
Redundancy
- The Redundancy Handbook (also available as a printed guide and PDF)
- A redundancy pay calculator
- A guide to making the most of your redundancy pay
- Information on benefits and tax credits when you have lost your job
- Information on the impact of redundancy on pensions
- Using a redundancy payment to pay into a pension (PDF)
Debt advice
We are the largest funder of debt advice in England. Find out where you can get free debt advice wherever you are in the UK.
Where to find support if you’re in debt
Pensions and investments
These pensions guides help your employees to avoid rushing retirement decisions, and help keep your money safe from scams:
Help for businesses, the self-employed and sole traders
Government and partners we fund such as Business Debtline have published Covid-19 money guidance for businesses and self-employed people, covering topics such as business rates, furlough, grants and tax payments.
- Claim for wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
- Business Debtline’s coronavirus guide for businesses and sole traders
- Government support for businesses
- Government guidance for employees
- The Pensions Regulator Automatic enrolment and DC pension contributions guide for employers
- Statutory Sick Pay: government guide for employers
- Government grants for self-employed people
Contact our partnerships team
Contact our regional partnerships team for free support and practical ways to help you build financial wellbeing across your organisation.
If your organisation has multiple sites, please contact the regional manager closest to your head office.

Kevin has joined the Money and Pensions Service as Scotland Partnership Manager, having spent the last 20 years working in roles across banking and banking education for the Royal Bank of Scotland and the Chartered Banker Institute. He has significant experience of stakeholder management with financial services organisations, commercial employers and higher education institutions.
He is passionate about the UK Strategy for Financial Wellbeing and enjoys connecting with partners from all sectors to deliver our vision.
Outside of work, Kevin is married with two children, lives near Glasgow and is a keen trail runner, when the Scottish weather allows.

Margaret’s role is to build relationships with a wide range of private, public and third-party stakeholders, to help with the successful delivery of MAPS engagement strategy and business plan. Margaret’s initial work will include introducing and delivering propositions to Employers to help improve the way Employees manage their money, debt and pensions. Her role also includes planning and delivering forums, events and communications which help to deliver the business plan by bringing together cross sector groups to improve customer access to help and support.
Throughout her career she developed and executed a number of strategic business plans that involved proficiency skill. She gained recognition across the newspaper, magazine and retail industry for her directional ability to drive business and as a result built substantive collaborative relationships with national and international companies. Before joining MAPS she spent 15 months working for Business in the Community as their North West Director – during this time she completed three successful and sustainable projects.

Rhian has over 18 years experience of working within the financial inclusion and tackling poverty agenda in Wales. She was the Financial Inclusion Champion for North Wales. As well as working closely with Welsh Government, she is also experienced in working with the public, private and third sector to prioritise the financial wellbeing of citizens in Wales. She has worked closely with local government, housing associations, credit unions and the advice sector across Wales.
More recently, Rhian has worked within the mental health sector in North Wales, firstly for a mental health charity creating new initiatives with partner organisations to support individuals, carers and families with mental health problems to overcome barriers. Following this, working for DWP supporting staff on mental health awareness and financial wellbeing enabling additional support for customers. Also building closer working relationships between DWP and other organisations, including the local health board.
Rhian is a fluent Welsh speaker.

James Kelly is the Regional Manager for the Money and Pensions Service in the North West. His previous role was at Lloyds Banking Group where James developed options to assist customers who were in financial difficulty and / or significant arrears. This included successfully creating and operating the Mortgage Rescue Scheme which worked closely with local councils, debt and homelessness charities to assist vulnerable customers. During this time James was the Deputy Chair of UK Finance’s Arrears and Possessions Panel. He has also held senior roles at the Halifax and is a Board Member for a Housing Association which provides affordable properties to a diverse range of local communities.

Before joining MaPS, Karleen worked at The Careers & Enterprise Company for five years, where she worked in partnership with a wide range of public, private and third sector stakeholders, including education institutes and businesses. Prior to this, Karleen spent 15 years working in the education sector in a variety of education policy and practice roles.

Jenny has joined the Money and Pension Service as the Regional Partnership Manager for Yorkshire and the Humber. She joins us from Citizens Advice where she was a National Quality Assessor for Pension Wise. Having spent the last 7 years in frontline service delivery, working for Age UK, SCCCC and Citizens Advice she was able to shape services that make a real difference to the lives of real people. Before working in the third sector Jenny spent 20 years working in the financial services sector. A member of the Area Board, managing a team of retail, business and high net worth financial advisors at HSBC and being a qualified financial advisor herself Jenny is able to draw on her commercial and third sector experience to support organisations to build financial capability for their clients and employees.

Dawn Cummins is the Regional Manager for the East Midlands. She has extensive experience of stakeholder and partnership working across a range of sectors having previously worked as a CEO for a small charity where she led strategic engagement for the voluntary sector throughout Northamptonshire. Previously Dawn held a senior role at the National Housing Federation working with a wide range of housing associations with a particular emphasis on the East of England, East Midlands and West Midlands. She has extensive experience across the not for profit sector having chaired a housing association board based in the East Midlands leading its merger with a larger group to maximise housing development opportunities with an aim to provide more affordable housing for those most in housing need.

Tiana Pathmanathan is the Lead Regional Manager for the North of England regions at the Money and Pension Service, and has the role of Regional Manager for the West Midlands. Tiana initially joined the Money Advice Service (MAS) and its previous legacy organisations in 2010, and up until 2012 worked in the Partnership Team, embedding and promoting Money Guidance through National Partnerships, and Wales and the South West. From 2012-2019, Tiana had the lead for Debt advice sector and commissioned services quality and continuous improvement – creating a Sector Framework for accrediting Quality Standards and adviser Learning Pathways, a Peer Review Scheme and a Quality Assurance Framework for funded services.
Prior to MAS, Tiana was the Wales Policy Manager at the Legal Services Commission where she developed and published in collaboration with the Welsh Government, a joint Strategy for Legal Aid provision in Wales.

Alan Nicholls is the Regional Manager for the East of England at the Money and Pensions Service.
Previously he worked at Lloyds Banking Group for 14 years influencing their financial inclusion, financial education, credit union and Universal Credit multi-brand strategies. He served on the group’s East of England Regional Ambassador Executive Committee, as well as attending the Money Advice Service’s financial capability steering groups and UK Finance’s Financial Inclusion and Capability Forum. Alan is also a board director for Harlowsave Credit Union and trustee for ‘Home’ charity.

Monica is passionate about helping people to enhance their financial skills and make the most of their money. Her role is to work closely with organisations from the private, public, voluntary/third sectors to support their wellbeing strategies by accessing MaP’s free resources, removing the stigma attached to talking about money and providing impartial advice & guidance.
Prior to joining MaPS, Monica held senior roles within Social Housing and Regeneration. Monica has led the development and delivery of various strategies, including equality & diversity. Part of this work involved creating frameworks to support the construction industry and employment opportunities for women in various trades. When not glued to the laptop, Monica is an avid salsa dancer and a committed squash player.

My main focus as Regional Partnerships Manager is to understand financial wellbeing needs in West London and how I can support them – from employers, local authorities, community groups, business groups and others – helping more people access money and pensions guidance services. I represent my region in discussions around the UK strategy, policy and proposition development. I work with the region to engage key stakeholders and partners in this work.

Lee is a senior business professional, with an impressive achievement record in traditional marketing, digital marketing and business partnerships within the consumer and business sectors; strategic, creative, analytical and commercially driven, with an evidenced track record in revenue growth, customer engagement and behavioural change.
He has worked in b2c, b2b and b2b2c marketing and digital marketing roles in retail, financial services, Government, media, public advisory, trade bodies, gambling and technology.

Paul is a highly experienced senior business executive, with a 20 year track record of achievement working across, and collaborating with, sectors including defence, the NHS, education, SMEs, charities, not for profits, and the wider private sector. Previously a managing director, business development director and non-executive director across sectors, I have experience in workplace wellbeing, employee development, governance, strategy, business development and marketing.

Scott heads up the regional partnerships team in England, his team is responsible for engagement across the 9 English regions. Previously Scott led on the successful delivery of the What Works Fund and has held a number of partnership roles across the organisation.
Before this, Scott spent a number of years in leadership roles across financial services in retail banking and mortgages through to sub-prime consumer finance, arrears management and debt advice. This also Included setting up and running his own Debt Management company.