ANALYSIS

The Chancellor, John Healey, delivered the Burnham Government's first Autumn Budget on Wednesday. We’ve reviewed the details announced in his speech and the documents released by the Treasury to help you understand the changes that might affect our sector.

SPEED READ

• Fuel Duty to remain frozen till July 2027 before rising to 60.95 pence per litre
• National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage to rise by 3.9%
• Self-employed to be eligible for paid parental leave
• Tax-free milage rate frozen for the first 10,000 miles, and increasing from 25p to 35p for all additional miles.

Typically, the Government stays tight-lipped about what it will announce in the budget and refuses to speculate. However, the Chancellor has made several pre-budget announcements as part of a new focus on ‘everyday fixes’.

These pre-budget announcements came on Friday 23 October, and then again on Monday.

Today's budget included further details of these announcements, with the theme of giving people “breathing space”.

Major announcements included measures on household energy bills, homelessness, reducing the welfare budget, handing tax revenues to mayors, and funding the defence investment plan.

Among those headlines were several important details that will directly affect you as pest professionals and business owners.

Fuel duty

The rate of fuel duty will remain frozen, as it has been since 2011, and the temporary 5p cut introduced in 2022 will remain for now until July 2027.

This further delays plans originally introduced in last year’s budget to increase the rate of fuel duty.

In 2025, it was decided that the temporary 5p cut would end this September, but it was then delayed further until January 2027.

In 2025, it was also decided that the base rate of fuel duty would start to increase with Retail Prices Index inflation from April 2027.

All these delays are a means of mitigating the effect of high fuel costs driven by conflicts in the Middle East. 2 days before the US and Israel began strikes against Iran on the 28 February, petrol was on average 132.05p a litre, and diesel 141.6p a litre; as of the 15 October it was 174.37p and 199.4p a litre on average respectively.

When both changes take effect as scheduled in July 2027, fuel duty will rise from 52.95 pence per litre to 60.95 pence per litre.

It is hoped by when this comes into force that the conflict will in the Middle East will have been resolved, or at a point where fuel prices are able to come down. If not, it is possible that these changes could be delayed even further.

Road Tax

Road Tax, officially the Vehicle Excise Duty, will increase in line with Retail Prices Index Inflation (RPI) from 1 April 2027.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) which provides independent analysis of the budget, has forecast that RPI will around 4.25% in 2027, 3% in 2028, and then 2.25% in 2030.

Tax-free milage

The tax-free mileage rate will remain set at 55p per mile for the first 10,000 miles, and the rate above 10,000 miles would increase from 25p to 35p per mile from 6 April 2027.

Wages

Both the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage (NLW) will rise by 3.9% in April 2027.

The NLW is paid to those aged 21 and over.

The rise to the NLW is expected to increase gross annual earnings by £910 for a full-time worker.

This rise is just above the Consumer Price Index including housing measure of inflation, which was 3.6% in the year to September.

However, the OBR has forecast that real household disposable income is to fall slightly in the short term.

The Labour Party’s 2024 manifesto included a commitment to abolish the separate 18-20 age bracket, which was viewed as discriminatory, and to have all adults entitled to receive the same minimum wage.

This abolishment was originally intended to be phased in, and so last year’s budget saw those in the 18-20 bracket receive an 8.5% increase, while those aged 21+ only saw a smaller 4.1% increase.

The universal 3.9% increase this year was an acceptance of the recommendations made by the Low Pay Commission, who believed that trying to close the gap further this year might negatively impact youth employment.

Youth unemployment is a significant issue currently, with an estimated 981,000 young people aged 16 to 24 not in education, employment or training (NEET).

Reflecting on last year’s rise to the minimum wage, the Low Pay Commission was of the view that “there is little evidence to suggest recent increases… have been a driver of reduced employment.”

Other than the uniform wage increase, there is little else in terms of additional measures in this budget to address youth unemployment. It is expected that the government will wait to see the recommendations made within the Milburn Report on you employment which is due in November.

Parental leave

Parental pay worth £194 a week will be made available to the self-employed fathers, partners, and those adopting.

Currently, only employees have been eligible to receive the payments, and the changes will take effect from April 2029.

Better Regulation Executive

The government will establish a new Better Regulation Executive to help it cut the administrative burden of regulation on businesses by 25% before the next general election in 2029.

Trading Allowance

To support those starting their own businesses, the Trading Allowance will be tripled from £1,000 to £3,000 from April 2027.

The Trading Allowance is a tax exemption for those with income from self-employment.

BPCA Chief Exec, Rosina Robson, said:

"The continuing freeze on the rate of fuel duty will be welcome to many businesses on the road every day serving customers in their communities. Sector businesses like many others are also feeling the squeeze of rising staff costs.

We'll continue our conversations and influence the government about protecting the professional toolkit and reducing admin burdens around chemical regulation, including the REACH ATRm and the next phase for biocides regulation after publication of the UK/EU SPS agreement in November".