IT contractors looking for more from their umbrella company should try a "fun but safe" solution, a new company has claimed.

Pulse is a new UK umbrella company which claims to bring "excitement" to the sector through innovative reward schemes.

While the company deals with all the usual tax issues IT contractors need handling, it also provides a Your Pulse rewards programme which can see users treated to spa breaks or weekends away.

"Our rewards programme Your Pulse provides agents and contractors with treats, challenge rewards and random acts of kindness - which helps us stand out from the crowd," said Chris Futcher, managing director of Pulse.

Pulse was created as a reaction to the many "me too" umbrella companies out there, Mr Futcher added.

Umbrella companies prove popular among IT contractors because they handle all tax issues for the contractor.

Last week, founder of crunch.co.uk Darren Fell said that self-employed IT contractors were being made to "jump through too many hoops" by HM Revenue & Customs.