How will the Government’s Autumn 2024 Budget affect families raising a disabled child?

Like everyone, this week we were looking at the government’s budget announcements on Wednesday to see what it might mean for the families we support – families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people, on low incomes. 

There was good news in the form of increases in:

• the National Minimum Wage 
• the amount carers can earn and still keep Carers Allowance
• funding for Special Needs education, and funding for more teachers in all schools
• funding for breakfast clubs at school
• funding for the NHS.

In wider increases that will help families:

From April next year the National Minimum Wage will go up to £12.21 per hour for those aged over 20, up to £10 per hour for those aged 18-20, and up to £7.55 per hour for 16 and 17 year olds. The apprentice rate will also rise to £7.55 per hour.

The amount that carers can earn before losing Carers Allowance will also go up to £195 per week. 

The chancellor did not announce a change to the cliff-edge drop-off (where you lose the whole allowance even if you’re only 1p over the earnings limit). But she said she is looking at it.

Carers Allowance will increase to £83.29 per week in the Spring, when all benefits will rise by 1.7%. 

Good news for people on Universal Credit: Smaller amount will be allowed to be taken off to pay off debts. It will now be at most 15%, instead of 25%. 

Other issues:

The Government is also putting £1 billion into carrying on the Household Support Fund next year. Families who rely on a car because of their child’s additional needs will be glad to hear that the freeze on Fuel Duty will continue. Though families who rely on buses will be worried about the cap on bus fares going up to £3.

The Chancellor also announced an extra £1 billion to be spent on Special Needs education and £2.3 billion more for schools, plus £1.4 billion to be spent on rebuilding 500 schools “in the greatest need, and £2.1 billion to improve school maintenance”. The NHS will get £22.6 billion more. Local Authorities will receive new funding for social care spending. 

It’s a lot to take in. But whatever the ups and downs, in this budget and the coming months, at Family Fund we will keep supporting as many UK families raising disabled and seriously ill children as we can with crucial grants and services. 

More information:

You can read the budget document in full on the gov.uk website, and the BBC has a list of key points from the budget on their website.