The Budget: A little relief, but not what we really wanted

I'm a little late with my annual Budget blog this year, I’ve been off on annual leave. But now I'm back, here are my brief thoughts on what the Chancellor had to say. Better late than never!

There were some welcome announcements. Help with energy bills, including a £100 payment for many households in England, an extension of the cut in VAT on electricity, and a continued freeze on fuel duty. All good news when the cost of everyday living remains a challenge for so many of us.

For people impacted by Inflammatory Neuropathies, these things really do matter. Living with a long term condition can bring additional costs, from heating and travelling to appointments, to simply managing our everyday lives.

There was some positive news for unpaid carers, with plans to make Carer's Allowance more flexible for those who work. This is long overdue, although of course, the changes won't happen overnight.

But there are still some pretty big questions. With changes to disability benefits coming, we need to make sure they reflect the reality of living with conditions like GBS, CIDP, and MMN. Cuts will have an impact on lots of people. And while financial support matters, so does access to healthcare, treatment, rehabilitation, and support. This wasn’t really addressed in this Budget.

For charities like ours, the picture is mixed. Rising costs continue to put pressure on our work, while the people we support need us more than ever. And there wasn't much in the Budget to directly ease that pressure.

Ultimately, Budgets aren't just about numbers. They're about people and the difference decisions make to everyday lives. There wasn’t much of this last week, but fingers crossed for upcoming spending reviews.

So, what do you think? Will the Budget help you, or has it missed something important? Leave a comment below or send us your thoughts to hello@inflammatoryneuropathies.uk. We'd really like to hear them.