Autumn Budget 2026: what to expect and what it could mean for your money
The frozen-threshold era continues, the fiscal headroom is thin, and every autumn the same question returns: whose taxes rise? Here's what's already locked in, what's being talked about, and how to see the impact on your own numbers.
What's already locked in
- Income tax and NI thresholds stay frozen to 2030/31. The freeze was extended at the November 2025 Budget. Every pay rise therefore drags more of your salary into tax — the mechanism explained in our fiscal drag glossary page.
- The triple lock continues. The state pension rises each April by the highest of earnings, inflation or 2.5% — the September 2026 inflation and earnings figures will set the April 2027 rise. See what tax you pay on your pension with the state pension calculator.
- The two-child benefit limit is being scrapped — worth up to £3,514 per affected child on Universal Credit. Full explainer and calculator →
What to watch for
Budgets are guessing games until the speech, but the recurring candidates — the ones think-tanks and papers keep circling — are:
- Further threshold or allowance tweaks beyond the freeze, if revenue disappoints.
- Property taxation. Council tax revaluation and stamp-duty reform proposals resurface every year — the boldest being the Proportional Property Tax. Compare your bill with the council tax calculator.
- Savings and pensions. ISA allowance reform and pension tax relief are perennial Budget speculation.
- Duties. Fuel duty has been "temporarily" cut since 2011 — every Budget it's a live question.
We don't speculate beyond what's publicly discussed — when a measure is confirmed, it appears here with a calculator.
See where you stand before the Budget
- Take-home pay calculator — your baseline under today's rules.
- Income tax calculator — including Scottish bands.
- The crossover salaries — how each party's plan compares at your income.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Autumn Budget 2026?
The Chancellor traditionally delivers the Autumn Budget in late October or November; the exact 2026 date is confirmed a few weeks in advance by the Treasury. This page is updated as soon as the date and measures are announced.
Will income tax thresholds rise in the 2026 Budget?
The personal allowance (£12,570) and higher-rate threshold (£50,270) are currently frozen until 2030/31 — a freeze extended at the November 2025 Budget. Unfreezing them early would be expensive, so most analysts expect the freeze to stay, which raises taxes each year through fiscal drag.
What usually changes at a Budget?
The big levers are income tax and NI thresholds and rates, fuel and alcohol duties, ISA and pension allowances, benefit and state-pension upratings (confirmed alongside September inflation figures), and targeted measures like stamp duty or capital gains changes. Our calculators are updated within days of any change.