‘Why has the Chancellor left the wealthiest untouched?’ – our money and economics writers answered your questions
News Source
•Thu, 29 Oct 2026 16:32:51 GMT
📰 What Happened
The Guardian's money editor Hilary Osborne and economics editor Heather Stewart answered readers' questions about the UK budget. Readers asked about energy bills, tax thresholds, council tax and help for pensioners.
One reader asked why the chancellor left the very wealthiest untouched. Another asked whether the £100 payment should go straight to energy suppliers instead of households.
On council tax, Stewart said reform is needed because bills are still based on 1991 property values. She said the budget's devolution plans are significant, but Britain remains highly centralised.
🔍 The Backstory
Chancellor John Healey delivered the budget this week. It included a £100 payment to 20 million households in lower council tax bands to help with winter fuel bills. Readers also asked about a new 2% tax on savings interest and a higher tax-free allowance for pensioners.
Stewart said chancellors should keep reminding voters of one-off costs from COVID, the Ukraine war and the global financial crisis. She said those shocks explain much of today's debt.
🎯 Why It Matters
Budget decisions set how much tax you pay and what help you get with bills. Reading the detail helps you know what changes are coming.
The Guardian's money editor Hilary Osborne and economics editor Heather Stewart answered readers' questions about the UK budget. Readers asked about energy bills, tax thresholds, council tax and help for pensioners.
One reader asked why the chancellor left the very wealthiest untouched. Another asked whether the £100 payment should go straight to energy suppliers instead of households.
On council tax, Stewart said reform is needed because bills are still based on 1991 property values. She said the budget's devolution plans are significant, but Britain remains highly centralised.
Chancellor John Healey delivered the budget this week. It included a £100 payment to 20 million households in lower council tax bands to help with winter fuel bills. Readers also asked about a new 2% tax on savings interest and a higher tax-free allowance for pensioners.
Stewart said chancellors should keep reminding voters of one-off costs from COVID, the Ukraine war and the global financial crisis. She said those shocks explain much of today's debt.
Budget decisions set how much tax you pay and what help you get with bills. Reading the detail helps you know what changes are coming.