Martin Lewis says 40% of UK workers entitled to free money that is 'dead easy' to claim

Wear a uniform to work? Wash it yourself? Congrats! You could be due a tidy little tax rebate.

From a simple T-shirt embroidered with the company logo to medical scrubs and even pilot uniforms, if you wear a distinctive or specialised uniform for work and are responsible for laundering, repairing or replacing it on your own dime, you could qualify for a refund.

Martin Lewis has urged you to fill in a simple form to claim it.

Over 40 per cent of the British workforce wear uniform to work, according to Clothes 2 Order's 2026 uniform report, which means millions of workers could be eligible for the refund.

Wear a uniform to work? You might be entitled to a tax refund (Getty Stock)

With a possible free £60 up for grabs, and potentially even more depending on the type of uniform, Lewis has explained how you can make the 'dead easy' claim.

He said on the Money Saving Expert podcast: "If you wear a uniform to work, including just a branded T-shirt or overalls, and crucially, you wash and have to maintain them yourself, and you don't use them elsewhere... then you are entitled to a very small tax rebate, which is back dateable up to four years."

However, another key qualifier is that your employer must not already offer complimentary laundry services or provide an allowance to cover such expenses.

It also doesn't apply to standard clothes like plain T-shirts or suits.

How much can I get from uniform tax rebate?

Lewis explained that the flat rate allowance is £60, which works out at a £12 a year if you pay 20 per cent income tax and £24 if you are in the top bracket of 40 per cent.

However, as the claim can be backdated four years, you could pocket £60 or £120, depending on your tax bracket.

Lewis said: "Now the tax saving of £60 for a basic rate taxpayer is £12. If you pay tax at the 40% rate it is £24 a year. But you can backdate it four years. It can be £60, it can be £120."

There's more good news, as the more specialised the uniform, the higher the allowance, as Lewis went on to explain.

Even pilots qualify (Getty Stock)

"So, a dental nurse, for example, the allowance is £125, which means it is worth £25 a year at the basic tax rate," he said. "Pilots' allowance is £1,000 a year, though most pilots will know about it, which means it is worth £200. A mechanic's allowance is £120 a year.

"But the minimum is a £60 allowance, which you would pay £12 tax on, but you get that as tax free. So for £60, the saving is £12, and you can backdate it up to four years."

Lewis urges people to make the 'dead easy' claim themselves

Lewis warned against people using any third-party claim firms to handle any claims, with many advertising the service of recouping uniform tax.

The companies could take up to half of any payout in their own fees, and Lewis says it's a doddle for anyone to just make the claim themselves, filling in a P87 form online on the government's website.

It's free and takes no time at all.

"To claim it, you do not need to pay anyone to do it. There are people who advertise - don't. It is dead easy," he explained.

"There is a form on gov.uk. It is called Tax Relief for Employees Uniform. Just search 'gov.uk Tax Relief for Employees Uniform'. Or, if you do a self assessment form, you do it in your self assessment tax return."

Lewis says you should do the claim yourself (Scott Garfitt/BAFTA via Getty Images)

If you want to claim an exact amount you have spent, then you will have to send evidence, such as receipts, with your claim and claim them as 'other expenses' with the service.

However, if you claim an agreed fixed amount, the flat rate, then no evidence is needed and the claim can be made as 'Uniform, work clothing and tools.'

A statement on gov.uk reads: "You can claim tax relief for a uniform. A uniform is a set of clothing that identifies you as having a certain occupation, for example nurse, or police officer.

"You may also be able to claim for specialist clothing you need for work, even if it does not identify you as having a certain occupation, for example overalls or safety boots."

The advice comes as HMRC have announced they are sending letters to over a million Brits informing them they will be receiving a pension top-up refund in the coming months.