Autumn Budget 2026 live updates: John Healey scraps standing charges for gas bills

By Jason Groves, Political Editor“},{“id”:”1M_7TcgkUk”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:””},{“id”:”LyVCuhY-98″,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:”The Chancellor will swerve welfare reform in today's Budget – as he hands out billions of pounds more to benefit claimants.”},{“id”:”MleoH7tnHG”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:””},{“id”:”2M9jRCRlyC”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:”John Healey will not curb runaway welfare spending despite growing pressure on the public finances.”},{“id”:”B_thT9OAvi”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:””},{“id”:”g8RR0ddeY7″,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:”Instead, he is expected to increase the tax burden to the highest level on record to help boost handouts.”},{“id”:”Xheu97p3Gi”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:””},{“id”:”HIiRxOCR4p”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:”Mr Healey has set aside £5.5billion to support a 3.5 per cent increase to benefits paid to ten million people, Labour sources told the Daily Mail.”},{“id”:”r4ubH7vhHu”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:””},{“id”:”OWUshb5HmU”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:”He is also expected to earmark at least another £1billion to subsidise the fuel bills of those on benefits and low incomes this winter.”},{“id”:”31h0RGgBKp”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:””},{“id”:”k6D4mS2Dd2″,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:”Read the rest of our Political Editor's report ahead of the Budget:“},{“content”:{“metadata”:{“image”:”https://i.dailymail.com/1s/2026/10/27/23/112132681-0-image-a-16_1793142102366.jpg”,”socialHeadline”:”Healey to duck welfare reform and boost handouts to 10 million people”,”previewText”:”John Healey will not curb runaway welfare spending despite growing pressure on the public finances. Instead, he is expected to increase the tax burden to the highest level on record to help boost handouts.”},”url”:”https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16244183/Chancellor-welfare-reform-Budget-boosts-handouts-10-Millions.html”},”id”:”lTLNi3Gf14″,”type”:”dailymail”}],”type”:”POST”},{“articleId”:”16239695″,”author”:”Patrick Harrington”,”breaking”:false,”closing”:false,”exclusive”:false,”goal”:false,”icons”:[],”keyUpdate”:false,”matchTimestamp”:””,”pinned”:false,”showPostTime”:true,”status”:”live”,”tags”:[],”title”:{“text”:”What can we expect to hear today?”,”url”:””},”user”:””,”creationDate”:”2026-10-28T06:34:57.850Z”,”updateDate”:”2026-10-28T06:34:57.850Z”,”publishDate”:”2026-10-28T06:34:57.850Z”,”id”:”Ypg4gaEBic4hluTFEXG7″,”lines”:[{“id”:”8PKzM7l4X2″,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:”The Chancellor is said to be planning a 'steady-as-she-goes' Budget with some key measures to provide 'breathing space' to hard-pressed Brits.”},{“id”:”ilnqQrEtK0″,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:””},{“id”:”dYCrPy5eoj”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:”These are expected to include energy bills support for poorer households, a freeze on fuel duty, action to help first-time buyers, and tax relief for smaller businesses.”},{“id”:”4Mm0bggY21″,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:””},{“id”:”zpYlMUN9J7″,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:”Minimum wage for young people will get a rise next year – though not by as much as in recent budgets.”},{“id”:”mqhYX1IAb1″,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:””},{“id”:”GcykdovviM”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:”Mr Healey is set to bring in cash to fund these moves by launching a fresh raid on banks and a new crackdown on online retailers such as Amazon, eBay and Temu.”},{“id”:”BokOQUfD2k”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:””},{“id”:”LkWiBXdbEm”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:”But – in contrast to his predecessor Rachel Reeves – he is not thought to be planning any huge tax and spend changes.”},{“id”:”XTnMREUE-t”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:””},{“id”:”I39I0LehYs”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:”Labour promised not to raise VAT, income tax, National Insurance or corporation tax – which account for three-quarters of tax revenues.”}],”type”:”POST”},{“articleId”:”16239695″,”author”:”Patrick Harrington”,”breaking”:false,”closing”:false,”exclusive”:false,”goal”:false,”icons”:[],”keyUpdate”:false,”matchTimestamp”:””,”pinned”:false,”showPostTime”:true,”status”:”live”,”tags”:[],”title”:{“text”:”Burning the midnight oil in Number 11″,”url”:””},”user”:””,”creationDate”:”2026-10-28T06:25:34.626Z”,”updateDate”:”2026-10-28T07:27:41.205Z”,”publishDate”:”2026-10-28T06:25:34.626Z”,”id”:”WYAvgaEBZeC9xJZved6i”,”lines”:[{“id”:”d_kft8ia_4″,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:””},{“caption”:”28/10/26Pictured: most lights off 11 downing street around 11.15Caption: Chancellor John Healey is delivering his first UK Budget 28/10/26 at 12:30″,”height”:”419″,”id”:”N_uMsqSnIv”,”src”:”https://i.dailymail.com/1s/2026/10/28/06/1793168657105_wide_galleryImage_28_10_26Pictured_most_lig.JPG”,”type”:”image”,”width”:”634″},{“id”:”GfukhJcKl2″,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:”A single light remained on inside Number 11 Downing Street, the Chancellor's residence, at 11:15pm last night.”}],”type”:”POST”},{“articleId”:”16239695″,”author”:”Patrick Harrington”,”breaking”:false,”closing”:false,”exclusive”:false,”goal”:false,”icons”:[],”keyUpdate”:false,”matchTimestamp”:””,”pinned”:false,”showPostTime”:true,”status”:”live”,”tags”:[],”title”:{“text”:”What has the Chancellor said about the Budget?”,”url”:””},”user”:””,”creationDate”:”2026-10-28T06:20:58.370Z”,”updateDate”:”2026-10-28T07:26:56.715Z”,”publishDate”:”2026-10-28T06:20:58.370Z”,”id”:”WIArgaEBZeC9xJZvQt6D”,”lines”:[{“id”:”4GawZA_IPF”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:””},{“caption”:”27/10/2026. London, United Kingdom. Chancellor John Healey prepares for the Budget 2026, in his office in HM Treasury. Picture by Kirsty O’Connor / Treasury”,”height”:”411″,”id”:”ytX60lPGDH”,”src”:”https://i.dailymail.com/1s/2026/10/28/06/1793168370083_wide_galleryImage_27_10_2026_London_United_.JPG”,”type”:”image”,”width”:”634″},{“id”:”bX1ncdjVr0″,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:”The Chancellor John Healey's headline phrase ahead of the budget has been 'breathing space'.”},{“id”:”QR5x7dNcmM”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:””},{“id”:”vBOCwrOCgW”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:”This has been interpreted to mean he wants to ease the pressure felt by struggling households from soaring costs – such as energy prices.”},{“id”:”Iv-gAU4sYn”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:””},{“id”:”vYOo7VIzSo”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:”He has also promised to make the country 'growth Britain again', by building confidence in British business.”},{“id”:”ND_VoySyuo”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:””},{“id”:”vchKbk5f5O”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:”Mr Healey has said: 'This Budget is about getting Britain through this difficult moment but it’s also about putting Britain on a future path, a better future path.'”}],”type”:”POST”},{“keyUpdate”:false,”pinned”:false,”updateDate”:”2026-10-28T06:10:00.334Z”,”goal”:false,”matchTimestamp”:””,”author”:”Lettice Bromovsky”,”articleId”:”16239695″,”publishDate”:”2026-10-28T06:10:00.334Z”,”icons”:[],”title”:{“text”:”What challenges does the Chancellor face ahead of the Budget?”,”url”:””},”creationDate”:”2026-10-27T16:58:01.612Z”,”tags”:[],”closing”:false,”scheduleDate”:”2026-10-28T06:10:00.000Z”,”exclusive”:false,”showPostTime”:true,”user”:””,”breaking”:false,”status”:”live”,”id”:”5kRMfqEBAbMgX9ogJJgN”,”lines”:[{“externalFilename”:”https://video.dailymail.com/video/mol/2026/10/25/2946889146213054369/1024x576_MP4_2946889146213054369.mp4″,”id”:3731275,”poster”:”https://i.dailymail.com/1s/2026/10/23/00/1792710292659_8248930720635637.jpg”,”type”:”video”}],”type”:”POST”},{“keyUpdate”:false,”pinned”:false,”updateDate”:”2026-10-28T06:05:00.379Z”,”goal”:false,”matchTimestamp”:””,”author”:”Lettice Bromovsky”,”articleId”:”16239695″,”publishDate”:”2026-10-28T06:05:00.379Z”,”icons”:[],”title”:{“text”:”What time does the Budget 2026 announcement start?”,”url”:””},”creationDate”:”2026-10-27T16:52:58.335Z”,”tags”:[],”closing”:false,”scheduleDate”:”2026-10-28T06:05:00.000Z”,”exclusive”:false,”showPostTime”:true,”user”:””,”breaking”:false,”status”:”live”,”id”:”x5FHfqEBH4mU3q64gxJg”,”lines”:[{“id”:”PO2RR3fdKj”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:”Mr Healey is expected to outline the proposals at approximately 12.30pm on Wednesday in the Commons. “},{“id”:”rEAbC1a5dS”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:””},{“id”:”IeB8xBOrrz”,”type”:”paragraph”,”value”:”It should take place immediately after Andy Burnham has finished his weekly despatch box showdown with Kemi Badenoch at Prime Minister’s Questions.”}],”type”:”POST”}],”totalPosts”:13}” data-platform=”mol.web.desktop” data-channel=”news” data-channel-color=”news” data-version=”5.6.0″ data-reactroot=””>