The UK’s Autumn Budget 2024 brings significant updates on business taxation, wage adjustments, and public spending. Here’s a quick rundown of the key points:
1. Business Taxes
- Increased National Insurance (NI) Contributions: Companies will face an increase in NI contributions, with the rate rising to 15% on salaries above £5,000 from April (up from 13.8% on salaries above £9,100). This change is expected to generate an additional £25 billion per year.
- Employment Allowance Boost: Smaller companies will see the Employment Allowance rise from £5,000 to £10,500, allowing them to reduce their NI liability more substantially.
- Reducing tax avoidance: The government will raise £6.5bn through targeting tax avoidance, including by umbrella companies.
2. Wages, Benefits, and Pensions
- Minimum Wage Increase: For those aged 21 and over, the minimum wage will rise from £11.44 to £12.21 per hour starting in April. Wages for 18-20-year-olds will also increase, moving from £8.60 to £10 per hour, as part of a broader plan to establish a “single adult rate.”
3. Government Spending and Public Services
- Healthcare Funding: The NHS in England will receive an additional £22.6 billion for day-to-day expenses, along with a £3.1 billion increase in its budget for infrastructure investments.
- Education Investment: An additional £6.7 billion will go toward education, with £1.4 billion specifically designated for rebuilding and modernising over 500 schools.
- Defence Budget: Defence spending is set to increase by £2.9 billion next year to support national security and strategic initiatives.
4. UK Debt, Inflation, and Economic Growth
- Economic Growth Forecast: The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts UK economic growth at 1.1% for 2024, increasing to 2% in 2025 and stabilising at 1.8% by 2026.
- Inflation Predictions: Inflation is predicted to average 2.5% this year, 2.6% in 2025, and then fall to 2.3% in 2026, with a long-term target to maintain it at 2%.
5. Housing Initiatives
- Affordable Housing Budget Expansion: The current affordable homes budget, running until 2026, is being expanded by £500 million. For the 2025/26 financial year, an additional £5 billion has been allocated to increase affordable housing availability.
- Housebuilding Acceleration: The government commits to hiring hundreds of new planning officers to expedite housing development across the country.
Thank you for reading. All information is sourced from BBC. For more on these changes, read the full announcement here.