Strand A — Money Basics Curriculum

6 × 45-minute workshops. Live (in-room or virtual) or recorded for async cohorts. Cohort 8–30. Lead facilitator + Lived-Experience Co-Facilitator (LEC) on every session.

The 6 sessions (sequence is intentional — don't reorder)

Universal session structure (apply to every workshop)

Session 1 — Read your payslip

Outcomes

• Name every line on a UK payslip
• Spot a wrong tax code in 30 seconds
• Know where SMP, SSP, holiday pay, overtime, pension and student loan show up

Slide deck (12 slides)

• S1 — Title + boundary card
• S2 — A real UK monthly payslip (anonymised, mid-range salary)
• S3 — Gross vs Net + the 5 deductions in order
• S4 — The tax code: what 1257L means · how an emergency code looks · what to do
• S5 — NI categories: A, B, C, X, M, Z in plain English
• S6 — Pension contribution column + employer match
• S7 — Student loan plans 1, 2, 4, 5 — what triggers them, what they cost
• S8 — Salary sacrifice: what it actually does to your take-home + your pension
• S9 — SSP, SMP, parental pay — where they show up
• S10 — Overtime, bonus, on-call, allowances — and why bonus tax looks weird
• S11 — Pair check: "swap and explain" exercise
• S12 — LEC slot placeholder
• S13 — One-action commit prompt
• S14 — Signposting + close

Facilitator notes

• Have THREE anonymised payslips ready (entry-level, mid-range, senior) — different deduction patterns make the lesson stick.
• The tax-code mistake demo is the moment of the session — show a real emergency code (1257L W1/M1), explain what it costs over a year, show how to check.
• HMRC URL to teach: gov.uk/check-income-tax-current-year — the only URL learners need to memorise this session.
• What NOT to teach: how to fill in a Self Assessment (route to Strand D / MEM4PT) — don't conflate the two.

One-action prompts (pick whichever lands)

• Check your tax code on your last payslip against the HMRC website.
• Photograph your next payslip and walk through the 5 deductions on your own.
• Ask your payroll team one question you've been afraid to ask.

---

Session 2 — Tax in plain English

Outcomes

• Know the current UK tax bands and what triggers each
• Understand National Insurance contributions and what they "buy" you
• Know what marriage allowance is and whether you might qualify
• Understand the tax-year clock (6 April → 5 April) and why it matters

Slide deck (12 slides)

• S1 — Title + boundary card
• S2 — Income tax bands (Personal allowance · Basic · Higher · Additional) — current rates as of the tax year named on the slide
• S3 — The 60% trap (PA tapering between £100k and £125,140) — explained for the senior cohort
• S4 — National Insurance: what it is, what it pays for, why it has bands
• S5 — Class 1, 2, 4 — who pays which
• S6 — Marriage allowance: who qualifies, what it saves, how to claim
• S7 — The tax-year clock — when to use up ISA, when pension contributions hit, year-end checklist
• S8 — Tax-free allowances most people forget: trading allowance £1,000, property allowance £1,000, savings allowance, dividend allowance
• S9 — Refunds: when you're owed one, how to claim, what to watch (HMRC don't text you)
• S10 — Pair check: "what's your biggest tax question?" — facilitator answers or signposts
• S11 — LEC slot — the tax-rebate that paid the rent
• S12 — Signposting + close

Facilitator notes

• Update the tax bands every April. Slides have variables for current-year rates so the deck doesn't go stale.
• The 60% trap slide is for senior cohorts only — skip for warehouse/operational cohorts and replace with a savings-allowance slide.
• The refund scams warning at S9 is non-negotiable. Show what an HMRC SMS scam looks like.

One-action prompts

• Claim marriage allowance if you qualify (link).
• Check Turn2us for any allowance you might be entitled to.
• Photograph your tax code letter and read it together with a partner / friend.

---

Session 3 — Pensions in plain English

Outcomes

• Understand auto-enrolment + the employer match
• Understand what State Pension is and what NI years buy you
• Know the 3 questions to ask before opting out (and why the answer is almost always "don't")
• Know when to call an IFA — and that this session does NOT replace one

Slide deck (12 slides)

• S1 — Title + boundary card (louder than usual — this session has the tightest FCA boundary)
• S2 — Auto-enrolment in 90 seconds: who, when, how much
• S3 — The employer match: free money you're leaving if you opt out
• S4 — Tax relief: how a £100 contribution actually costs you £80 / £60 / £55 depending on band
• S5 — State Pension: NI years, the new flat rate, the gov.uk forecast tool
• S6 — Why people opt out (and the 3 questions to ask before you do)
• S7 — Workplace pension vs private pension — what's the difference
• S8 — "What happens to my pension if I leave the company?" (you keep it)
• S9 — When you MUST call an IFA: consolidating, taking lump sums, DB to DC transfers, anything past age 55
• S10 — Pension scams: free pension reviews, cold calls, the under-55 access scam
• S11 — Pair check: "have you checked your State Pension forecast?"
• S12 — LEC slot — opt-out at 22, opt-back-in at 50, the £200k gap
• S13 — Signposting + close (IFA emphasised)

Facilitator notes

• Re-read the boundary card at the start of this session especially. This is the session where curious learners ask the most regulated questions.
• Show the State Pension forecast tool live: gov.uk/check-state-pension — every learner should know this URL.
• NEVER recommend a fund, provider, or contribution percentage above the auto-enrol minimum. The answer to "what % should I contribute?" is "as much as you can afford; talk to an IFA about whether you should go higher than the match."

One-action prompts

• Check your State Pension forecast on gov.uk.
• Find out your employer's pension match and whether you're getting all of it.
• If you've opted out, write down the 3 reasons — and book an IFA conversation if any of them are "I don't understand it."

---

Session 4 — Budgeting that doesn't make you cry

Outcomes

• Build a one-page "money map" for next month
• Set up one automation that does the work for you
• Understand the "pay yourself first" principle
• Know the difference between a budget that lasts a week and a system that lasts a year

Slide deck (12 slides)

• S1 — Title + boundary card
• S2 — Why most budgets fail (precision without flexibility) — the broken-spreadsheet pattern
• S3 — The money map: 4 buckets — Essentials, Future, Flex, Joy
• S4 — Pay yourself first: the automation that beats willpower
• S5 — Sinking funds for known irregular costs (car, birthdays, Christmas, holiday)
• S6 — Worked example: £2,400/month take-home — live build on screen
• S7 — Worked example: £1,800/month take-home with two kids — different shape
• S8 — Couples + money: the joint/personal/shared model
• S9 — Apps + tools (named neutrally — no recommendations): MoneyDashboard, Emma, Monzo pots, Starling Spaces, paper notebook
• S10 — The 60-second weekly check-in
• S11 — Pair check: "name one bucket you've never thought of"
• S12 — LEC slot — the IVA → solvency story
• S13 — One-action commit (set up ONE automation today) + signposting

Facilitator notes

• The live worked example is the heart of the session. Don't pre-fill — build on screen with input from the room.
• Two worked examples, not one — the £2,400 and £1,800 versions reach different cohorts.
• The "couples + money" slide is optional — gauge the room. Skip for cohorts where it'd cause discomfort; cover in 1:1 instead.

One-action prompts

• Set up ONE direct-debit automation today (savings, sinking fund, or bill).
• Draw your money map for next month on a sheet of paper before bed tonight.
• Book the 60-second weekly check-in in your calendar — same day, same time, 4 weeks.

---

Session 5 — Credit + debt without shame

Outcomes

• Understand UK credit scoring (the 3 agencies; what moves and doesn't move it)
• Know the different debt types and their hierarchy (priority vs non-priority)
• Know what breathing space is and how to access it
• Know who to call for free, regulated debt advice — and what to expect when you do

Slide deck (14 slides)

• S1 — Title + boundary card
• S2 — Why shame keeps debt in the dark — and what changes when it doesn't
• S3 — The 3 credit reference agencies: Experian · Equifax · TransUnion (and Clearscore / Credit Karma as free portals)
• S4 — What moves a credit score (5 levers)
• S5 — What does NOT move it (myths: checking your own score, paying off your mortgage)
• S6 — Priority debts (rent, mortgage, council tax, energy, court fines) vs non-priority (credit cards, personal loans, overdrafts)
• S7 — Breathing Space (Debt Respite Scheme): 60 days from action against you, free, via FCA-regulated advisers
• S8 — The free, regulated routes: StepChange · National Debtline · Citizens Advice · MoneyHelper
• S9 — What StepChange actually does in the first call (demystify it)
• S10 — DRO / IVA / Bankruptcy in 90 seconds each — what they are, when they're considered, who decides (NEVER MEM)
• S11 — Debt scams: "consolidation" cold calls, fake debt-management firms, "we can write off your debt" ads
• S12 — Talking to a partner about debt: the 4-line script
• S13 — LEC slot — what StepChange did when it mattered
• S14 — One-action commit (call a free regulated adviser) + signposting

Facilitator notes

• NEVER recommend a debt solution. The session teaches what exists and who to call. The solution is decided by the FCA-regulated adviser with the learner's full financial picture in front of them.
• The 4-line script for talking to a partner about debt is the most-screenshot slide of the session. Make it print-ready.
• The LEC slot is non-negotiable — debt sessions without a lived voice land as a lecture. With one, they land as permission.

One-action prompts

• Pull your free credit report from one of the three agencies tonight.
• If you're behind on anything, call StepChange (0800 138 1111) — they answer Monday–Friday 8am–8pm, Saturday 9am–2pm.
• If a debt collector is contacting you, ask for breathing space — they have to stop for 60 days.

---

Session 6 — Benefits, allowances + free money you're owed

Outcomes

• Run a benefits-entitlement check on Turn2us
• Know what Universal Credit, Council Tax Reduction, PIP, Pension Credit are and when to look
• Understand the Help to Save scheme + Tax-Free Childcare + Healthy Start vouchers
• Know which one-time grants exist that most people don't claim

Slide deck (12 slides)

• S1 — Title + boundary card
• S2 — The £20bn unclaimed: what gets left on the table every year in the UK
• S3 — Universal Credit basics — who's eligible (it's not just the unemployed)
• S4 — Council Tax Reduction / Single-Person Discount / Severe Mental Impairment exemption
• S5 — PIP + Carer's Allowance — what triggers a claim
• S6 — Pension Credit + the cliff: how a small Pension Credit award unlocks much bigger help
• S7 — Help to Save: 50% bonus, 2 years, for low-income workers
• S8 — Tax-Free Childcare + 30 free hours + Healthy Start
• S9 — Charitable grants via Turn2us (boiler, white goods, school uniform, bereavement)
• S10 — The 4 URLs to memorise: turn2us.org.uk · entitledto.co.uk · gov.uk · MoneyHelper
• S11 — Pair check: run a Turn2us calculator together
• S12 — LEC slot — the unclaimed £4,200
• S13 — One-action commit (run the calculator) + signposting + course-completion CTA

Facilitator notes

• Run Turn2us live on screen with a hypothetical household — the lesson is the act of using the calculator, not memorising the rules.
• The Pension Credit cliff slide is for cohorts with older workers or workers caring for parents. Skip for under-30 cohorts.
• Healthy Start vouchers are the most-missed benefit for working parents on low income — make it concrete with the £4.25/week figure.

One-action prompts

• Run the Turn2us calculator on your own household tonight.
• Check your Council Tax band on gov.uk — and challenge it if your neighbours are in a lower band.
• If you care for someone 35+ hours/week, check if you're eligible for Carer's Allowance.

---

Course-completion certificate

After Session 6, learners receive a Money Basics — UK Edition completion certificate. Same template as Sprint 1 file 07, with these substitutions:

• Title: "Money Basics — UK Edition"
• CPD claim: 4.5 CPD-aligned hours (6 × 45 min)
• Boundary statement (verbatim): "This certificate confirms attendance on a financial education programme. It is not a financial advice qualification. The holder is not authorised to give regulated financial advice."

---

Live + recorded delivery

• Live (in-room or virtual): 8–30 learners. Lead + LEC. Pair-check is genuine.
• Recorded async: same script, single facilitator. LEC slot delivered as a 7-min video insert. Pair-check becomes a self-prompt on screen. Completion tracked per session.

---

Cohort variants

---

Materials checklist (per cohort)

• 6 decks (with current tax-year variables populated)
• 6 learner workbook sections (see 03-strand-a-learner-workbook.md)
• FCA boundary card printed per learner
• 3 anonymised payslip handouts
• Completion certificate per learner (emailed within 48h of Session 6)
• LEC briefed for each session

---

Cross-cutting promise Every UK employee seat funds a free seat for someone leaving prison — and our justice-leaver coaching uses the same Money Basics curriculum, because the UK payslip doesn't change based on who's reading it. memacademy.org/corporate/financial-wellbeing-employees