Mini Budget - September 2022
Chancellor Reveals His Plan for Growth
The week leading up to Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s ‘Mini Budget’ may have been a short one due to the Queen’s funeral but the new government managed to fill it with a stream of policy announcements.
Before Mr Kwarteng stood up to make his statement on ‘The Growth Plan’ much of what he had to say about energy support for businesses and households, bankers’ bonuses, investment zones and reversals to NICs had already been announced. The government also said that the Chancellor’s statement would not be subject to a forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility. However, this did not stop the media from dubbing this event a Mini Budget.
The Growth Plan set out a new approach to the economy built around three central priorities:
The week leading up to Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s ‘Mini Budget’ may have been a short one due to the Queen’s funeral but the new government managed to fill it with a stream of policy announcements.
Before Mr Kwarteng stood up to make his statement on ‘The Growth Plan’ much of what he had to say about energy support for businesses and households, bankers’ bonuses, investment zones and reversals to NICs had already been announced. The government also said that the Chancellor’s statement would not be subject to a forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility. However, this did not stop the media from dubbing this event a Mini Budget.
The Growth Plan set out a new approach to the economy built around three central priorities:
- reforming the supply-side of the economy
- maintaining a responsible approach to public finances
- cutting taxes to boost growth.
Highlights
National Insurance contributions
In September 2021 the government published its proposals for new investment in health and social care in England. The proposals were intended to lead to a permanent increase in spending not only in England but also by the devolved governments. To fund the investment the government introduced a UK-wide 1.25% Health and Social Care Levy based on the National Insurance contributions (NICs) system but ringfenced for health and social care.
The Health and Social Care Levy Act provided for a temporary 1.25% increase to both the main and additional rates of Class 1, Class 1A, Class 1B and Class 4 NICs for 2022/23. From April 2023 onwards, the NIC rates were intended to revert back to 2021/22 levels and be replaced by a new 1.25% Health and Social Care Levy.
However, the new Chancellor has decided to:
The Health and Social Care Levy was expected to raise around £13 billion a year to fund health and social care and the Chancellor has confirmed that funding will be maintained at the same level as if the Levy was in place, funded from general taxation.
Comment
According to the government, not proceeding with the Levy will reduce tax for 920,000 businesses by nearly £10,000 on average next year.
For SMEs, the government predicts that the savings will be around £4,200 on average for small businesses and £21,700 for medium sized firms from 2023/24.
In addition, it will help almost 28 million people across the UK save £330 on average in 2023/24, with an additional saving of around £135 on average this year.
More detail for employees and employers
The changes take effect for payments of earnings made on or after 6 November 2022, so:
Comment
The government hopes that most employees will receive the NICs reduction directly via the payroll in their November pay but acknowledges that some will have to wait until December or January, depending on the complexity of their employer’s payroll software.
More detail for the self-employed
Following the principle detailed above, the changes to Class 4 NICs will again be averaged across 2022/23, so that the rates will be 9.73% and 2.73%.
Stamp Duty Land Tax
A number of changes are made to the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) regime. Generally, the changes increase the amount that a purchaser can pay for residential property before they become liable for SDLT.
The residential nil rate tax threshold is increased from £125,000 to £250,000.
The nil rate threshold for First Time Buyers’ Relief is increased from £300,000 to £425,000 and the maximum amount that an individual can pay while remaining eligible for First Time Buyers’ Relief is increased to £625,000.
The changes apply to transactions with effective dates on and after 23 September 2022 in England and Northern Ireland. These changes do not apply to Scotland or Wales which operate their own land transactions taxes.
There are no changes in relation to purchases of non-residential property.
*Residential rates may be increased by 3% where further residential properties are required.
In September 2021 the government published its proposals for new investment in health and social care in England. The proposals were intended to lead to a permanent increase in spending not only in England but also by the devolved governments. To fund the investment the government introduced a UK-wide 1.25% Health and Social Care Levy based on the National Insurance contributions (NICs) system but ringfenced for health and social care.
The Health and Social Care Levy Act provided for a temporary 1.25% increase to both the main and additional rates of Class 1, Class 1A, Class 1B and Class 4 NICs for 2022/23. From April 2023 onwards, the NIC rates were intended to revert back to 2021/22 levels and be replaced by a new 1.25% Health and Social Care Levy.
However, the new Chancellor has decided to:
- reverse the temporary increase in NICs from November and
- cancel the Health and Social Care Levy completely.
The Health and Social Care Levy was expected to raise around £13 billion a year to fund health and social care and the Chancellor has confirmed that funding will be maintained at the same level as if the Levy was in place, funded from general taxation.
Comment
According to the government, not proceeding with the Levy will reduce tax for 920,000 businesses by nearly £10,000 on average next year.
For SMEs, the government predicts that the savings will be around £4,200 on average for small businesses and £21,700 for medium sized firms from 2023/24.
In addition, it will help almost 28 million people across the UK save £330 on average in 2023/24, with an additional saving of around £135 on average this year.
More detail for employees and employers
The changes take effect for payments of earnings made on or after 6 November 2022, so:
- primary Class 1 NICs (employees) will generally reduce from 13.25% to 12% and 3.25% to 2% and
- secondary Class 1 NICs (employers) will reduce from 15.05% to 13.8%.
Comment
The government hopes that most employees will receive the NICs reduction directly via the payroll in their November pay but acknowledges that some will have to wait until December or January, depending on the complexity of their employer’s payroll software.
More detail for the self-employed
Following the principle detailed above, the changes to Class 4 NICs will again be averaged across 2022/23, so that the rates will be 9.73% and 2.73%.
Stamp Duty Land Tax
A number of changes are made to the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) regime. Generally, the changes increase the amount that a purchaser can pay for residential property before they become liable for SDLT.
The residential nil rate tax threshold is increased from £125,000 to £250,000.
The nil rate threshold for First Time Buyers’ Relief is increased from £300,000 to £425,000 and the maximum amount that an individual can pay while remaining eligible for First Time Buyers’ Relief is increased to £625,000.
The changes apply to transactions with effective dates on and after 23 September 2022 in England and Northern Ireland. These changes do not apply to Scotland or Wales which operate their own land transactions taxes.
There are no changes in relation to purchases of non-residential property.
*Residential rates may be increased by 3% where further residential properties are required.
Residential Band (£) |
Rate (%) |
Non-residential Band (£) |
Rate (%) |
0 - 250,000 |
0 |
0 - 150,000 |
0 |
250,001 - 925,000 |
5 |
150,001 - 250,000 |
2 |
925,001 - 1,500,000 |
10 |
Over 250,000 |
5 |
Over 1,500,000 |
12 |
Government Announces Plans to Help Cut Energy Bills For Businesses
On 21 September 2022 the government announced a new scheme, the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, which is designed to cut energy prices for non-domestic energy customers, such as businesses, charities and public sector organisations. The new scheme is in addition to the recently announced Energy Price Guarantee for households.
The scheme will apply to fixed contracts agreed on or after 1 April 2022 in addition to deemed, variable and flexible tariffs and contracts. Running for an initial six-month period, the scheme will apply to energy usage from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023. According to the government, savings will first be seen in businesses’ October bills.
Businesses are not required to take action or apply for the scheme, support will be automatically applied to bills.
The government intends to conduct a review of the scheme in three months to assess:
Energy Price Guarantee Plan Caps Household Bills
Prime Minister Liz Truss announced the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) for households on 8 September 2022 which will apply from the start of October 2022. The EPG means that an average household will pay no more than £2,500 per year for each of the next two years. It comes in addition to the £400 Energy Bill Support Scheme and will save the average household at least £1,000.
The EPG limits the price suppliers can charge customers for energy supplies. This takes account of temporarily removing green levies, worth around £150, from household bills. The guarantee will supersede the existing energy price cap.
Under the plan, those households who do not pay directly for mains gas and electricity, such as those living in park homes or on heat networks, will be no worse off and will receive support through a new fund.
The government estimates that the EPG will deliver substantial benefits to the economy, boosting growth and curbing inflation by four to five percentage points, which will in turn reduce the cost of servicing the national debt.
The government will provide energy suppliers with the difference between this new lower price and what energy retailers would charge their customers if this were not in place. Schemes previously funded by green levies will also continue to be funded by the government during this two-year period to ensure the UK’s investment in homegrown, secure renewable technologies continues.
New Plan For Patients Aims To Tackle NHS Backlog
Health and Social Care Secretary Thérèse Coffey unveiled the government’s new ‘Our plan for patients’ on 22 September 2022, which aims to tackle NHS backlogs.
The centrepiece of the plan is the expectation that everyone who needs an appointment at a GP practice should get one within two weeks, with patients with the most urgent needs being seen the same day.
The plan also includes changing funding rules to recruit extra support staff so that GPs can focus on treating patients. The government says this will free up over one million appointments per year.
There will also be ‘more state-of-the art telephone’ systems to make it easier for patients to get through to their GP surgeries. In addition, more information will be available for patients, with appointments data published at a practice level for the first time ever.
Pharmacies will help ease pressures on GPs and free up time for appointments by managing and supplying more medicines without a GP prescription and taking referrals from emergency care for minor illnesses.
On 21 September 2022 the government announced a new scheme, the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, which is designed to cut energy prices for non-domestic energy customers, such as businesses, charities and public sector organisations. The new scheme is in addition to the recently announced Energy Price Guarantee for households.
The scheme will apply to fixed contracts agreed on or after 1 April 2022 in addition to deemed, variable and flexible tariffs and contracts. Running for an initial six-month period, the scheme will apply to energy usage from 1 October 2022 to 31 March 2023. According to the government, savings will first be seen in businesses’ October bills.
Businesses are not required to take action or apply for the scheme, support will be automatically applied to bills.
The government intends to conduct a review of the scheme in three months to assess:
- how effective it has been in giving support to vulnerable, non-domestic customers
- which groups of non-domestic customers remain vulnerable to energy price rises
- the extent to which the scheme could either be extended or further targeted.
Energy Price Guarantee Plan Caps Household Bills
Prime Minister Liz Truss announced the Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) for households on 8 September 2022 which will apply from the start of October 2022. The EPG means that an average household will pay no more than £2,500 per year for each of the next two years. It comes in addition to the £400 Energy Bill Support Scheme and will save the average household at least £1,000.
The EPG limits the price suppliers can charge customers for energy supplies. This takes account of temporarily removing green levies, worth around £150, from household bills. The guarantee will supersede the existing energy price cap.
Under the plan, those households who do not pay directly for mains gas and electricity, such as those living in park homes or on heat networks, will be no worse off and will receive support through a new fund.
The government estimates that the EPG will deliver substantial benefits to the economy, boosting growth and curbing inflation by four to five percentage points, which will in turn reduce the cost of servicing the national debt.
The government will provide energy suppliers with the difference between this new lower price and what energy retailers would charge their customers if this were not in place. Schemes previously funded by green levies will also continue to be funded by the government during this two-year period to ensure the UK’s investment in homegrown, secure renewable technologies continues.
New Plan For Patients Aims To Tackle NHS Backlog
Health and Social Care Secretary Thérèse Coffey unveiled the government’s new ‘Our plan for patients’ on 22 September 2022, which aims to tackle NHS backlogs.
The centrepiece of the plan is the expectation that everyone who needs an appointment at a GP practice should get one within two weeks, with patients with the most urgent needs being seen the same day.
The plan also includes changing funding rules to recruit extra support staff so that GPs can focus on treating patients. The government says this will free up over one million appointments per year.
There will also be ‘more state-of-the art telephone’ systems to make it easier for patients to get through to their GP surgeries. In addition, more information will be available for patients, with appointments data published at a practice level for the first time ever.
Pharmacies will help ease pressures on GPs and free up time for appointments by managing and supplying more medicines without a GP prescription and taking referrals from emergency care for minor illnesses.
