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Original poster

Absolutely rinsed in this budget - almost £1k a year worse off.

740 replies

Mushroo · 26/11/2025 13:43

Honestly in despair at this government. On a very high level calc, we are so much worse off!

We both pay a lot into pensions, so the NI change is about £700 a year worse off.

We have an EV car, so based on our 4k a year mileage, it’s about £120 a year. (Although how it will be enforced I have no idea).

Stagnating tax thresholds, probably about £100 a year between us.

Council tax F house (4 bed end terrace, not a mansion, needs renovating). So risk of revaluation after having paid a fortune in stamp duty. We didn’t get first time buyer stamp duty relief because we bought about 2 years too early, and we moved before Covid so no relief there either. So overall we’ve paid about £30k in stamp duty already over our lifetime.

Weve already had the private school hit (which is a separate debate and we’ve accepted that) but wow, we are just being kicked on all sides.

We are classic ‘middle earners’ - earn about £70k each, but have mahoosive mortgage and pay over £2k a month in nursery fees already.

Every measure just seems to have a negative effect on our lifestyle, which is ‘comfortable’ but increasingly squeezed.

OP posts:
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Benjithedog · 26/11/2025 14:43

Mushroo · 26/11/2025 13:43

Honestly in despair at this government. On a very high level calc, we are so much worse off!

We both pay a lot into pensions, so the NI change is about £700 a year worse off.

We have an EV car, so based on our 4k a year mileage, it’s about £120 a year. (Although how it will be enforced I have no idea).

Stagnating tax thresholds, probably about £100 a year between us.

Council tax F house (4 bed end terrace, not a mansion, needs renovating). So risk of revaluation after having paid a fortune in stamp duty. We didn’t get first time buyer stamp duty relief because we bought about 2 years too early, and we moved before Covid so no relief there either. So overall we’ve paid about £30k in stamp duty already over our lifetime.

Weve already had the private school hit (which is a separate debate and we’ve accepted that) but wow, we are just being kicked on all sides.

We are classic ‘middle earners’ - earn about £70k each, but have mahoosive mortgage and pay over £2k a month in nursery fees already.

Every measure just seems to have a negative effect on our lifestyle, which is ‘comfortable’ but increasingly squeezed.

OP take no notice of the envious and jealous posts. You can bet your bottom dollar of the roles were reversed they’d be saying the same thing. You have every right to feel as you do and this comes from someone who earns no where near that much

LVhandbagsatdawn · 26/11/2025 14:43

I'm not sure an increase of £1k on a joint £140k income per annum could really be described as "absolutely rinsed" - it represents 0.7% of gross income.

ilovesooty · 26/11/2025 14:43

chouxchoux · 26/11/2025 14:21

OP there are lots of us quietly reading your thread understanding exactly how you are feeling, and agreeing with you.

Obviously there are also lots of very noisy, presumably envious people here shouting at you, who want to give you a hard time about you and your DP working hard and being sensible with your money and pensions.

Ignore the histrionics in these replies. YANBU to feel the way you do.

The only histrionics I can see are the posts from people claiming that the government wants to reduce workers to a state of abject poverty, and the posts relating to hyperbole about benefits.

Outside9 · 26/11/2025 14:43

You haven't made the strongest argument against this budget. Especially given you are eligible for funded childcare hours.

TallulahBetty · 26/11/2025 14:43

Middle earners? Pardon?

Take little Tarquin out of private school would be a start.

AnneShirleyBlythe · 26/11/2025 14:42

MellowPinkDeer · 26/11/2025 14:12

People on benefits around 5k a Year better off. An absolute fucking disgrace. Have as MANY kids as you like and some idiot in the middle will pay for them.

shit show.

A bit of a generalisation there! ‘People on benefits’? Which benefits exactly? My DH is on PIP ( he can’t walk at all or do very much for himself) which increases yearly in April based on inflation. So goes up by a few quid a week. Who is getting £5k extra? UC also goes up by inflation.

PinkCrab · 26/11/2025 14:42

Why are you paying such high nursery fees when you both earn under the £99,999 cap for Working Parent Hours?

colorpie · 26/11/2025 14:42

We will be worse off due to this budget but the poorest in society should be better off and so that's a positive thing. I'd like to see them do more to tackle inequality but going after the very, very rich and companies to do not pay their fair share of tax. I'd like to see more investment in public services and infrastructure but overall I though it was ok. We are still dealing with the after effects of 14 years of Tory neglect and mismanagement and that can't be fixed at the flick of a switch.

Allisnotlost1 · 26/11/2025 14:42

TillyTrifle · 26/11/2025 14:32

In some area a massive mortgage is the only way to own a home. And the Op has already said that they don’t yet pay school fees and may well not go down that route now VAT has been added.

You sound super jealous that some people have a nice lifestyle.

I hate the attitude so many people in this country have now - beat everyone down, shame people who have achieved anything and race to the bottom. No wonder ambitious professional people are leaving in their droves, it’s poisonous.

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Really, what areas are there where the only choice is a £2m house?

Mildura · 26/11/2025 14:41

BringBackCatsEyes · 26/11/2025 14:36

The £2500 mortgage is pretty high.

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But not ridiculously so, not for 2 "higher earners."

HelpMeGetThrough · 26/11/2025 14:41

Wingedharpy · 26/11/2025 13:48

Car mileage is recorded every time your car goes in for an MOT so I suspect, though don't know, that the pay per mile will be linked to that.

That won’t work. If they link it to that, I’ll just do a lease for 2 years and it’s never MOT’d

Allisnotlost1 · 26/11/2025 14:40

GentleOlive · 26/11/2025 13:53

Don’t complain. You have done your public service so that half a million people already welfare dependent who choose to have kids they cannot afford get a £5k a years additional final raise.

Edited

To be fair it sounds like OP has bought into a lifestyle she can’t afford, if an increased cost of 1k a year is upsetting her. Private school, nursery and a ‘mahoosive’ mortgage? Over extended, was always going to end badly.

CombatBarbie · 26/11/2025 14:40

Wingedharpy · 26/11/2025 13:48

Car mileage is recorded every time your car goes in for an MOT so I suspect, though don't know, that the pay per mile will be linked to that.

The reporting is saying, mileage clocked on mot and submitted to DVLA then bill raised.

Not sure how it works for new cars thiugh as they are exempt mots for 3 years? One big bill in year 4??

TomatoSandwiches · 26/11/2025 14:39

80smonster · 26/11/2025 14:27

If so I’d like OP’s broker details.

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I'm pretty sure it's this guy, [email protected]

randomchap · 26/11/2025 14:39

ruffler45 · 26/11/2025 14:37

I guess that Tesla et all will have programmed something into the car's computer that will send annual mileage to the government/taxman at the click of a button.

Edited

I'd be double checking Tesla data.

Susiy · 26/11/2025 14:39

You're still doing better than 80%+ of people in the country and so much better than those at the bottom of the pile. Count yourself lucky - you don't know what the future holds.

Slothisavirtue · 26/11/2025 14:39

Bellsbeachwaves · 26/11/2025 14:31

I don't think the maths is mathing here. There is a limit on earnings for UC. Your take home must be upwards of £3500 - someone working 16 hours getting UC takes home much less than that

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Their income was £3500 (including benefits) which is the same as my net income on £60k. I saw it with my own eyes.
Their housing costs are lower than mine (private rented for me, social social rent for her)

GentleOlive · 26/11/2025 14:39

Swissmeringue · 26/11/2025 14:21

We're absolutely screwed by this budget. Fortunately the pension changes don't come in until 2029 so it gives us time to move abroad which is 100% what we'll be doing.

Good on you. The more high earning people leave, the quicker those in receipt of free money will earn a lesson.

BringBackCatsEyes · 26/11/2025 14:38

TillyTrifle · 26/11/2025 14:32

In some area a massive mortgage is the only way to own a home. And the Op has already said that they don’t yet pay school fees and may well not go down that route now VAT has been added.

You sound super jealous that some people have a nice lifestyle.

I hate the attitude so many people in this country have now - beat everyone down, shame people who have achieved anything and race to the bottom. No wonder ambitious professional people are leaving in their droves, it’s poisonous.

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I would strongly encourage OP NOT to pay for private schools for 2 children. If they are watching every penny already, it's not going to get cheaper.

ilovesooty · 26/11/2025 14:38

randomchap · 26/11/2025 14:10

Is this satire? I've not read such a big pile of bullshit in a long time

If it's not, then you should be embarrassed by spouting such rubbish

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Agree. Absolute rubbish.

80smonster · 26/11/2025 14:38

Mushroo · 26/11/2025 14:30

This! Our house is nowhere near £2m, but there was a lot of talk of doubling council tax for top bands, which would be an extra £3k a year, and is a real worry. But it’s an unknown so I’ve not factored that into any calcs yet.

But it’s an additional stress.

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Yeah, but the budget was today, so speculation has ended. If you’re earning 70k each you are nowhere near being spanked the way 100k+ earners are. I’d count myself lucky in your shoes tbh… I’m not a Labour supporter BTW.

ruffler45 · 26/11/2025 14:37

I guess that Tesla et all will have programmed something into the car's computer that will send annual mileage to the government/taxman at the click of a button.

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 26/11/2025 14:37

usedtobeaylis · 26/11/2025 14:36

You're taxed basically on your privilege and luxury. Which is as it should be.

What does that even mean? You understand this isn’t a communist country yet don’t you?

BringBackCatsEyes · 26/11/2025 14:36

Mildura · 26/11/2025 14:32

Which is interesting, as when you look at the list of the OPs outgoings, it's not an especially extravagant lifestyle.

Wage stagnation in this country is a problem, as 2 "higher earners" should definitely have a bit more headroom in the budget each month.

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The £2500 mortgage is pretty high.

Mildura · 26/11/2025 14:36

Hellohelga · 26/11/2025 14:34

OP you are seriously loaded. Grow up and stop insulting 90% of the population.

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Perfectly comfortable yes, but "seriously loaded?"

Really?!