The King's Fund: What does the Autumn Budget 2024 mean for health and care? (31 October 2024)

Summary

A King's Fund long read reflecting on the UK's Autumn Budget.

Content

Headline announcements

• Real-terms increase in core local government spending power of around 3.2%, including £600 million of new grant funding to support social care (for both adults and children’s services) and a £86 million increase to the Disabled Facilities Grant.
• Total health spending increases by 3.8% a year on average in real terms between 2023/24 and 2025/26. This includes a 3.4% increase to day-to-day (resource) spending on items like staff salaries and medicines, and a 10.9% increase in capital investment on items like buildings and equipment over this period.
• Disincentivising activities that cause ill health by renewing and increasing duties on tobacco-related products and the Soft Drinks Levy.
• Increases to the National Living Wage and National Insurance Employer Contribution costs, which will particularly affect non-public sector employers.