It could be a benefit you’ve never claimed, a tax allowance you didn’t know about, or money sitting in an old savings account. A financial reset could leave you better off without having to earn an extra penny.
Here are some checks worth making.
Hunt down forgotten savings
Do you have an old savings account you opened years ago and then forgot about?
Now is a good time to dig out your paperwork and check the interest rate. You may find your money is earning very little simply because you have not reviewed the account for years.
If the rate is poor, consider moving the money to a more competitive account. The YourMoney.com Personal Finance Awards 2026 can provide a useful starting point when comparing providers. For savings, Spring won Best Savings Account App-Only, while Skipton Building Society picked up Best Savings Account – Everyday. Aldermore won Best Cash ISA Provider.
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Benefits worth checking
Pension Credit is one of the most commonly missed entitlements – it tops up the income of pensioners on a low income. It can unlock other help too, including Council Tax Reduction, help with NHS costs, the Warm Home Discount and, for those over 75, a free TV licence.
Pension Credit tops up weekly income to £238 for a single person or £363.25 for a couple (in the 2026/27 tax year). You may still qualify if you have savings, own your home or receive other income.
Council Tax Reduction (sometimes called Council Tax Support) is separate from Pension Credit and is also easy to overlook. It’s run by individual councils, so the rules vary, but it’s generally available to people on a low income, whether working, unemployed or retired.
Separately, if you live alone, you’ll usually qualify for the 25% single-person Council Tax discount.
Other benefits worth checking include Carer’s Allowance and Attendance Allowance for older people who need help with personal care. Free calculators from Turn2us, Entitledto and Citizens Advice can give you a personalised picture of what you could claim.
While you’re checking your benefits, check your accounts too
A benefits check-up is also a good opportunity to ask whether your current accounts are working as hard as they could.
Natwest and Royal Bank of Scotland had a clean sweep in the 2026 Your Money Personal Finance Awards, winning Best Student Current Account, Best Reward Current Account and Best Everyday Current Account. This is recognition that reflects strong value across current accounts for very different types of customer, from students opening their first account to those wanting rewards on everyday spending.
Tax allowances and refunds
Away from the benefits system, there are tax reliefs that go unused simply because people don’t know to ask for them. Marriage Allowance lets a lower-earning spouse or civil partner transfer part of their unused personal allowance to their partner, provided one of you is a non-taxpayer and the other pays tax at the basic rate.
It’s worth up to £252 for the current tax year, and because claims can be backdated up to four years, some couples who have never applied could be due more than £1,000 in one go.
It’s also worth checking whether you’ve overpaid tax. This is surprisingly common among people who’ve changed jobs partway through the year, had more than one employer at once, or been placed on the wrong tax code.
HMRC doesn’t always flag this automatically, so a quick check of your tax code and a look back through old payslips can be worthwhile.
Trace forgotten pensions
Changing jobs can leave you with a trail of workplace pensions. If you have had several employers over the years, make a list of your old workplaces and check whether you still have pension savings with them. You can contact previous employers or pension providers to trace old pots.
The Government’s Pension Tracing Service can also help you find contact details for an old workplace or personal pension provider.
Finding an old pension could make a meaningful difference to your retirement income – particularly if you have several small pots that you had forgotten about.
