The raft of pension changes announced by the Chancellor in the March Budget has fuelled an increase in enquiries from clients, according to new research.

Savings and retirement business Standard Life, part of Phoenix Group, said 45% of advisers said they had experienced an increase.

Those who have clients with large portfolios had the greatest rise, with 58% with an average client portfolio of £200,000 or more reporting an increase in contact from clients.

Chris Hudson, retail advised managing director at Standard Life, said: “The pension announcements in this year’s Budget took most people by surprise, particularly the scrapping of the lifetime allowance, leading to frenzy among advisers and clients alike.”

He said clients have been scrambling for clarity around what this means for their finances and Financial Planning, and have been looking for support from advisers to guide them through.

However, despite the rise in the levels of enquiries, advisers believe, on average, that only 13% of their clients will need to update their pension planning because of the Budget changes.

The figures climbed to 15% among those who had an average client portfolio of £200,000 or more.

Mr Hudson said: “While advisers only expect a small proportion of their most affluent clients to be affected, many will still be seeking advice for their situation, especially as it looks like measures around the lifetime allowance could be reversed if this Government loses power.”

Opinium conducted the research among 203 independent financial advisers from 31 March to 4 April.