Britons Are Struggling to Make Ends Meet as Budget 2025 Looms
A growing number of Britons are finding it increasingly difficult to pay their bills, with many feeling the pinch from rising living costs and stagnant wages. For Brett and Maria MacDonald, a couple struggling to balance work and family life in London, the pressure is mounting.
The pair own a hair salon and have been forced to take on additional work to keep up with the increasing cost of running the business. However, this extra income has come with a price – Brett's salary is only £12,000 per year, while Maria earns £70,000 as a sales director for a tech company. Despite her higher earnings, Maria faces the threat of losing access to free childcare funding if she exceeds the £100,000 tax threshold.
This is not an isolated case. Many young people are struggling to find work and make ends meet, with some even being forced to move back in with their parents due to the lack of job opportunities. Alex, 24, from Calderdale, Yorkshire, graduated this summer but has yet to find a graduate job. His friends have also been struggling to find work in their field.
The government's decision not to increase tax breaks for younger people and instead introduce a higher charge for electric vehicle drivers is seen as particularly unfair by many. Kate Coyle, who works in the vehicle charging industry, faces a 3p per mile charge on her lease car, which will cost her an additional £300-£600 per year.
Meanwhile, pensioners are also feeling the pinch with the announced reduction in cash ISA allowances from £20,000 to £12,000. Trevor Adams, 68, was relieved that he would still be able to save up to £20,000 in a cash ISA each year despite the change.
As the budget 2025 approaches, many are left feeling frustrated and uncertain about their financial future. The government's decision to freeze tax bands for those on lower incomes is seen as particularly regressive by some, with Maria MacDonald calling it "super punishing".
The budget also failed to address student and university loan issues, which Alex believes will have a significant impact on young people's ability to afford homes and start families.
As the pressure mounts, many are left wondering whether working more means losing more. For Brett and Maria MacDonald, the answer is a resounding yes – they are struggling to balance work and family life in order to make ends meet, but feel that their efforts are being rewarded with little to no financial gain.
A growing number of Britons are finding it increasingly difficult to pay their bills, with many feeling the pinch from rising living costs and stagnant wages. For Brett and Maria MacDonald, a couple struggling to balance work and family life in London, the pressure is mounting.
The pair own a hair salon and have been forced to take on additional work to keep up with the increasing cost of running the business. However, this extra income has come with a price – Brett's salary is only £12,000 per year, while Maria earns £70,000 as a sales director for a tech company. Despite her higher earnings, Maria faces the threat of losing access to free childcare funding if she exceeds the £100,000 tax threshold.
This is not an isolated case. Many young people are struggling to find work and make ends meet, with some even being forced to move back in with their parents due to the lack of job opportunities. Alex, 24, from Calderdale, Yorkshire, graduated this summer but has yet to find a graduate job. His friends have also been struggling to find work in their field.
The government's decision not to increase tax breaks for younger people and instead introduce a higher charge for electric vehicle drivers is seen as particularly unfair by many. Kate Coyle, who works in the vehicle charging industry, faces a 3p per mile charge on her lease car, which will cost her an additional £300-£600 per year.
Meanwhile, pensioners are also feeling the pinch with the announced reduction in cash ISA allowances from £20,000 to £12,000. Trevor Adams, 68, was relieved that he would still be able to save up to £20,000 in a cash ISA each year despite the change.
As the budget 2025 approaches, many are left feeling frustrated and uncertain about their financial future. The government's decision to freeze tax bands for those on lower incomes is seen as particularly regressive by some, with Maria MacDonald calling it "super punishing".
The budget also failed to address student and university loan issues, which Alex believes will have a significant impact on young people's ability to afford homes and start families.
As the pressure mounts, many are left wondering whether working more means losing more. For Brett and Maria MacDonald, the answer is a resounding yes – they are struggling to balance work and family life in order to make ends meet, but feel that their efforts are being rewarded with little to no financial gain.
. It's like, one thing, the government's trying to help pensioners save more money (good on them for that!), but another thing entirely is they're basically pricing younger people out of existence 
. I mean, a 3p per mile charge on an electric vehicle lease car? That's just crazy talk! And don't even get me started on the student loan situation – it's like, how can you expect young people to start families and buy homes when they're stuck with thousands of pounds in debt? 
It's time for some real solutions, not just more austerity measures 
. I'd love to see a plan that actually helps people make ends meet, rather than just tweaking the tax brackets to suit the wealthy 
.
can't believe the gov's gonna hit pensioners with smaller cash ISA allowances 
£12k is still better than nothing tho...but for ppl struggling to pay bills, it's a huge burden 
and another thing, why do they keep freezing tax bands for lower incomes? it's super punishing indeed 
.
. 3p per mile? Are you kidding me? It's basically a penny for every mile you drive... no wonder Kate is struggling to make ends meet 
. And what about student loans? The budget didn't even touch that issue, which is just a huge problem for young people trying to start their own lives 
.
. You can't expect everyone to be okay with sacrificing their financial security just because of budget cuts 
And Maria's tax situation is just a nightmare - it's like the government wants her to be poor so she can get some 'benefit' from the system... not. 
. And the electric vehicle charge is just another added expense on top of everything else... it feels like we're being squeezed from every angle 
. We need to find a way to make life more affordable for everyone, not just the already struggling.
And those pensioners who are all upset about the cash ISA reduction? Like, if they can't even be bothered to try harder to save more, why should we subsidize them for it? 
the government needs to step up and do something about it, like increasing tax breaks for younger people or at least providing more support for those struggling to make ends meet 
but nope, they're just gonna sit there and let ppl suffer 
and the electric vehicle charge is another one that's got people riled up 
