Healey to deliver first Budget amid household and market concerns

Chancellor John Healey is due to present his first Budget on Wednesday, October 28, with households facing pressure from living costs and markets watching for signals on borrowing and interest rates. The measures have not yet been announced, and many proposals circulating ahead of the speech remain forecasts rather than confirmed policy. People describing their finances ahead of the Budget raised concerns about energy, housing, fuel, employment and retirement income. Chloe, a 40-year-old single parent in south London, said she pays about £200 a month for gas and electricity and tries to keep her weekly food shop to £40. She works full time and said she does not receive benefits, while asking for further help for single-parent families, including possible tax relief. Other interviewees focused on different costs. Robert Portlock, 29, said rent and household bills made moving out of his parents’ home in Gateshead unaffordable for him. He called for lower fuel duty and income tax, or a higher personal allowance. Emily Nelson, 19, said she had been unable to find work after completing her A-levels and wanted more support for employers taking on young people and for training. A...