Autumn statement 2025: How the budget will affect disabled people
The government has announced its latest Budget, which outlines its plans for the economy, including changes to taxation and spending.
Some of the measures included in the Budget have previously been announced.
Scope will be analysing Budget documents over the coming days to identify the full impacts for disabled people. This article will be updated with more detail.
Here are the main points so far of how disabled people will be affected:
Changes to the Motability scheme
- VAT will be added to new leases from July 2026.
- More expensive cars, such as BMW and Mercedes will be removed from the scheme.
Changes to Benefits
- The PIP award review periods will be extended, meaning less frequent reviews for some claimants.
- The rate of working-age benefits is increasing in line with inflation from April 2026.
- The 2-child benefit cap will be removed from April 2026.
- The number of Work Capability Assessments (WCA) and face-to-face UC health assessments are increasing. This means that those unable to work may face more frequent assessments to get out-of-work benefits.
Employment Support
- Anyone who is disabled and claims out-of-work benefits will have access to 1,000 specialist advisers and tailored support to find work.
- A Youth Guarantee scheme will guarantee eligible 18 to 21-year-olds a six-month paid work placement from 2026.
Energy Costs
- Households are expected to save £150 on energy bills from April 2026 because of some changes to levies. Levies are charges included in energy bills to fund environmental and social programs.
- The government will provide an additional £1.5 billion capital investment to tackle fuel poverty through the Warm Homes Plan.
- In October, the £150 Warm Home Discount was expanded to a further 3 million of the poorest households on means-tested benefits.
You can read more here:
Comments
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Its a bit of a disappointing budget.. While I'm no expert economist if feels like another 'pander to power of the banks' event.
The whole political situation in the country is deeply concerning at the moment…1 -
The state this country is in is concerning, edging towards a failed State according to experts!
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It attacked the disabled again , the motability deposit will more expensive , and although i never have had a merc BMW etc I think it is wrong to take these away from the scheme , PIP isn't an out of work benefit and every pound of enhance PIP goes to the lease of a vehicle , they are not free . So it just seems unfair to target motability .
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More wca assessments great
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Can i ask what happened to equality and what if that person has already worked through their disability all their lives ?
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All by design what can we do to protect ourselves
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If you think it is then fine , but there was a lot of fuss not too long back about making sure disabled people are not singled out in any way , this seems to be a huge U turn.
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wow.
that really comes across VERY badly
yes disabled people DO deserve to have the same standard of living just because they have no choice but to claim something to survive.
....
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“Motability isn’t about luxury — it’s about independence. People give up their mobility benefit to lease a car that meets their needs. Some higher‑end models were included because they had the right adaptations, not because they were status symbols. Equality means disabled people should have access to safe, suitable transport, not be limited to the cheapest option.”
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Remember people working 40+ hours a week, 50+ weeks a year, are having to make considerable sacrifices to afford luxuries.
They lose time with partner, kids, friends, etc. They often have to travel long distances outside of working hours. People working physical jobs will be damaging their physical health over the years, ending up in more and more pain and reduced mobility. And most jobs cause constant stress, which we all know majorly impacts physical and mental health over the years.
And after all that they'll still have to choose between a nice car or a holiday or home improvements, when they've been working hard and making all those sacrifices to earn their money.
No-one is making constant sacrifices to get PIP. Yes the claim process is horrible for most of us, but we don't have to go through that every day of every week of every year to get PIP payments.
I also disagree with the justification of 'it's not our fault we're disabled'. Well it's not working people's fault either, so why should their taxes be used to pay for things for us that they can't afford themselves?
I can see both sides of this, and am always trying to read more and more opinions to make the most balanced view that I can myself. As I see it, everyone should have access to basics such as food, warmth and shelter. But beyond that, I don't think any person with a disability and/or on benefits has any more right to luxuries than a working person does.
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The whole time your forgetting mps politicians don't make sacrifices let be real if they wasnt so bent at hoarding the money no one would be homeless struggling your all arguing everyone needs to make sacrifices when the ones at the top DONT need to look up there's lies the problem
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Well said and yet nobody is questioning why they need everything funded by the tax payer .
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It's how the BMW is seen or perceived by the hard working taxpayers that can't afford a BMW too... You ask that you are not singled out?
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Also on BBC, Sky
Why cant they leave us alone
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It looks to be young people. They can't leave it because the Benefit cost to the country is unsustainable. Have seen the latest numbers from the DWP? Nearly 8m on UC alone, up from 5.3m in 2022. PIP at 3.8m, up from 2m in 2020. That is just two benefits, what about ESA and DLA? The numbers are increasing too. PIP at an all time high for applications and awards per month. Totally unaffordable and every political party has plans to reform. You can't put the taxes up on working people anymore, they have had enough. I've lived a long time and I have never seen numbers on benefits anywhere near this high currently - ever. Hopefully disabled won't be targeted. There are a lot of youngsters on benefits because you get more on the sick than working on the national living wage. It has been like this for years and has been proved by a professional organisation working on behalf of the government. I have read it. It's been on SKY news too they ran a programme on young people in a town with high unemployment and the youngsters stated they get paid more on the sick. They talked to a few that were on PIP too... They get in a rut and never get off benefits.
You asked and that is my thoughts....
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I hear what you are saying about the numbers and the system feeling stretched. I’m just wondering though, when we talk about it being “unsustainable” or that too many people are on benefits, how do we decide who should get support? Where do you think the line is between those who need help and those who don’t?
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Ps Try not to worry got a year until pip report they will go on a mad one all distraction from themselves and reeves misinformation try not to watch news it will be to triggering you have copd and many ailments that wont get better so don't worry we know they will be shouting from rooftops welfare welfare reforms I understand it does need reforming lets see
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I think thier go ahead with cutting benefits for young people its was obvious this would happen they played a blinder keep backbenchers happy and give themselves more time in power my mps stopped replying to me
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I just can’t watch Starmer again bashing the disabled.. does he realise that some of us worked for decades before disability, that we paid taxes and mortgages etc?? Yes young people need help, anyone who has never worked or been to college / apprenticeship needs help.
Yet they sporadically forget the state of available mental health services in the country or waiting lists for joint replacement etc. Jobs have to be real and meaningful for young people or they won’t stay in work. The cynic in me thinks they’ll target family support for the 18-25 year olds? If Mum and Dad have to pay for their kids because benefits stop then those kids may have no alternative but to join an apprenticeship scheme or get a job pronto. These kids may even find themselves homeless?I just hope there is proper diagnosis of severity of disability and ongoing treatment available. I don’t see that in place at the moment😞1 -
I've skimmed through a few articles removing paywalls, they all say similar a combination of what we already know and specifically mentioning the young and Milburn review, seems their continuous obsession with the under 22s will not abate and they'll pay for the child caps removal.
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