The Autumn Budget 2026

The Autumn Budget is when the Chancellor presents the government’s plans for tax and spending for the year ahead. This year’s Autumn Budget was presented to Parliament on Wednesday 28 October. The Treasury also published documents alongside the Budget, to provide more detail on what was announced.

At the Budget, we get a review of the nation's finances and the economic situation, but also important details about what the government is choosing to prioritise through their spending plans.

The Chancellor introduced this Budget as one for 'the working people of Britain' with focus on addressing the cost of living as the cost of goods and services continue to rise. Given announcements of additional funding for the NHS last year, and the Chancellor’s previous comments that government departments must ‘manage with the budgets they’ve got’, significant new funding for health was not expected this year. However, this Budget was noticeably light on any mention of health and social care.

The only announcement of further funding for the NHS was an additional £190m over the 2026-27 financial year for the NHS in England (NHS budgets for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are set by their own devolved governments). This is intended to support the NHS in England in managing existing pressures, particularly as winter approaches. This supports the recent announcement of further urgent care sites opening in time for winter to increase emergency and unplanned care capacity in local communities.

The growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) was recognised by the Chancellor with announcements focusing on supporting British developed, secure technological advancements. This included:

• A 'Challenge Prize' to fund innovation in AI for public services.
• Investment of £140m in AI tools to support the treatment of patients in the NHS.
• A review of NHS productivity in the context of AI and technology use to identify opportunities to make efficiencies and reduce waiting times.

A £100 million investment in robotically assisted surgery in England is expected to increase in robotic-assisted procedures from 70,000 a year to 500,000 by 2035. This will reduce the need for invasive procedures, including for those undergoing cancer treatment.

While no specific details were referenced, the Chancellor announced that funding for prevention initiatives in government departments will be ringfenced in next year's Spending Review (expected in Spring 2027) to ensure protected investment. This supports the ongoing policy direction in public service reform, with a focus on funding services that support people to stay well and manage their own health and wellbeing effectively with low-level support and intervention in their local communities.

Carers in England and Wales will have greater flexibility to work alongside their unpaid caring responsibilities from 2030-31. The existing Weekly Earnings Limit will be revised, so earnings above this limit will result in a gradual tapering of the Carer's Allowance payment, rather than the current 'all or nothing' approach in which any earnings above the limit cause the forfeiture of the entire allowance. It is projected that this change will impact approximately 48,000 carers in England and Wales when it comes into effect from 2030.

This Budget was exceptionally light on health and social care commitments. Despite significant recent policy announcements around the creation of a National Care Service across the UK, the ongoing high-profile maternity services review and continued workforce pressures around pay and retention, there were no fiscal announcements to support these today.

Today's Budget was one targeted at economic growth and financial stability rather than transformative with regards to public services, in line with its tagline 'breathing space for today, fresh hope for the future'. With the publication of the Prime Minister's Ten-Year Plan for Britain expected by the end of the year, we may see more meaningful announcements on public service reform – and therefore health and social care – in the Spending Review next year as policy initiatives take shape.

For people living with cancer, the test will be whether these announcements lead to shorter waiting times, earlier diagnosis and better access to personalised care and support.

• Call the Macmillan Support Line for free on 0808 808 00 00
• Chat to our specialists online.
• Speak to other people affected by cancer on our Online Community.