Video: REBA New Year Lectures: - Panel discussion - the future of benefits and rewards

The Treasury is failing to understand the implications of the potential loss of salary sacrifice, according to a panel discussion at the REBA New Year Lectures 2016. "There is clearly a lack of understanding from a Treasury perspective on salary sacrifice in particular," said Simon Darby at Westminster Advisors.

View the full panel discussion on the future of reward and benefits in the UK by watching this video, above.

Shawn Healy, principal at BDO, said that flexible benefits and the use of salary sacrifice is "just part of business now. It's nothing special - we do it because everyone else does." However he critiscised the lack of understanding of the Revenue. "Everybody in this room has a role to play in helping educate any contacts you have with the HMRC that a flexibile benefit arrangement or standalone salary sacrifice arrangement is not about avoiding tax or national insurance," he said.

The debate was just one of the issues discussed around the possible implications of the 2016 Budget within the panel discussion between Jamie Jenkins, head of pensions strategy at Standard Life; Shawn Healy, principal at BDO; Stephen Gambles, head of performance and reward at Royal London and Simon Darby of Westminster Advisors.