LiveTuesday · 27 October 2026Vol. VIII · No. 300
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'I'm a single mum on £41,000 and limit my weekly shop to £40.' What do you want from the Budget?

People earning from £380 a month to £150,000 a year tell the BBC what they want to see in this year's Budget.

Chancellor John Healey is set to unveil his first Budget on Wednesday.

Unlike in previous years there have been very few leaks about what will be in it, though Healey's tax and spending plans will be under close scrutiny at a time when government borrowing costs are at "historic highs".

BBC News has been speaking to people on a range of incomes on how they feel about their finances and what they would like to see in the Budget.

If there are issues you would like to see covered, you can get in touch via BBC Your Voice.

Chloe's biggest worry is the cost of living. Her husband passed away four years ago and she's bringing up their 16-year-old son alone.

She's very grateful the rent for her south London maisonette is subsidised through a housing association, but says life was easier when she shared the bills. "Two incomes make a massive difference."

Her energy bill has risen sharply over the past year and she now pays about £200 a month on gas and electricity.

"We try to be more aware, we think more about how long we run the hot water when we do the dishes."

Chloe, 40, and her son have cut back on luxuries like going to M&S and the cinema, and she now tries to limit the weekly food shop to £40.

But she can't do anything to reduce her £200 council tax bill, or the amount she spends on medicines for her various health conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis.

Chloe wants to see more help for single-parent families.

"I don't access benefits but I work full-time and it's hard. Can the government do anything else to help? Something on our tax bill perhaps."

'I earn £22,000. Saving for a house is impossible'

Robert Portlock, 29, has always lived with his parents in Gateshead and would love to move out. But he doesn't think he can afford to.

Rent would be his biggest concern, he says, explaining that a small flat in his area would cost him about two-thirds of his monthly wage.

"Council tax and energy bills would add to it. Food too. I'd need a TV licence, broadband, my car and some money to socialise. By that point I'd be in the minus."

'I'm a single mum on £41,000 and limit my weekly shop to £40.' What do you want from the Budget?

Robert's biggest expense currently is his car, which he says he needs for his 32-mile round trip to work at Newcastle Airport. But he's paying £750 a month in car finance, insurance, fuel and tax.

He wants the chancellor to cut fuel duty and income tax, or increase the personal allowance - the amount of income you do not have to pay tax on - to about £16,000, up from £12,570 currently.

He would like to get on the housing ladder but for now it feels a distant prospect. The government has announced a scheme to help first-time buyers in England who have a deposit of 2.5%, but Robert says: "Saving for a house is impossible at the moment."

What is the Budget and what could be in it?

Faisal Islam: Budget needs to sustain the stronger economy through gathering clouds

'I get £338 UC per month. I'm trying my best'

Emily Nelson completed her A-levels last year and like thousands of her peers has been unable to find a job since leaving college.

The 19-year-old from Swindon wants to be an animator but in the meantime is applying for retail and sales roles and apprenticeships. Most of the time, she doesn't hear back from potential employers.

"I'm trying my best, it's all you really can do. It's kind of suffocating in a way. You see everyone else managing, and you feel like you're not."

She wants the government to provide more funding to businesses so they can take on more young employees. She'd also like to see more money for training and the government's Jobs Guarantee, external scheme extended.

The scheme, being rolled out across England, Scotland and Wales, guarantees fully funded, six-month paid jobs for 18 to 24-year-olds who have been on universal credit and looking for work for 18 months. But Emily thinks people should be eligible after a year.

She is living with her parents but wants to move out eventually. "My parents want me to get a job first. They are not putting pressure on me to go yet."

'I earn £30,000 and dread filling up my car'

Dave Herbert, a professional driver who moves cars between showrooms and does deliveries, says fuel prices have been "crazy" this year.

He spends around £350 a month on petrol for work and personal use. That's 40% to 50% more than at the start of the year, he says.

He has to commute into Cardiff, a 62-mile round trip from his home in Ynysddu. "I'd love to have a hybrid car but even an entry-level used car is too expensive."

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