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AIBU?

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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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CorneliaCupp · 26/11/2025 14:36

EasternStandard · 26/11/2025 14:00

Labour will be pleased. They should do a targeted tax for a few thousand a year to SM posters who say this.

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Why?

usedtobeaylis · 26/11/2025 14:36

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

Slothisavirtue · 26/11/2025 14:36

EsmeArcher · 26/11/2025 14:35

How is the public sector funded?
Unless I’m gravely mistaken it is funded by taxation and borrowing by the government, with repayments funded from taxation receipts.

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Not entirely, I work in the public sector but cover my salary many times over with the income I bring in

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 26/11/2025 14:35

I can’t see any budget calculators yet. How is everyone working out how much extra this budget is going to cost then?

Christmascarrotjumper · 26/11/2025 14:35

Hellohelga · 26/11/2025 14:34

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

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The 90% can and do moan all the time. The 10% are allowed opinions too.

EsmeArcher · 26/11/2025 14:35

AnneShirleyBlythe · 26/11/2025 14:17

Bit unfair! Her DH is earning that money just as he would be if he was in the private sector.

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How is the public sector funded?
Unless I’m gravely mistaken it is funded by taxation and borrowing by the government, with repayments funded from taxation receipts.

OneBookTooMany · 26/11/2025 14:34

If someone shovels shit by night-40 hours a week- for £40,000 a year, why should they have to pay more to subsidise those who don't want to shovel shit or only want to shovel shit for 16 hours a week?

If the 16 hour a week shit shirker then wants to have 3 children, that is entirely her choice but she cannot expect to put her hand into pocket of the person who has chosen to shovel shit for 40 hours a week.

The "children shouldn't be in poverty" is a golden slogan, meant to make the 40 hour a week shit shoveller feel bad about the fact that her children are fine while the shit shirker's children are in poverty.

The answer is-Do Not Put Your Own Children In Poverty. If you were in poverty when you had one, do not have any more...or do, if you fancy it, but don't expect the shit shovellers of the nation to keep you and yours.

Down to you and over to you. No-one feels guilty for your choice and nor should they be made to feel so.

Those 40 hour shit shovellers who have had their heartstrings manipulated can elect to pay more tax.

Anyway, no doubt it will be trebles all round at the Shit Shirkers Arms tonight as they revel in their pay increase.

nutbrownhare15 · 26/11/2025 14:34

The EV charge doesn't come in until 2028. Presumably your nursery costs will be less by then? Those on £140k who can afford private education and a huge mortgage can afford tax rises more easily than those on the lowest incomes. Our income is less but we are still comfortable and I'm happy to pay extra in taxes if it means those on lower income who are less able to afford it pay less. I would of course like taxes to those on higher incomes to increase at a higher rate too.

TillyTrifle · 26/11/2025 14:34

People who aren’t poor are allowed to be pissed off by this budget and to have a grumble about it.

Hellohelga · 26/11/2025 14:34

Mushroo · 26/11/2025 14:07

Our take home is c.£7k
Nursery fees £2k
Mortgage £2.5k
Commute x 2 £500
Food / petrol / misc £600
Council tax, bills £500
clothes, activities for family of 4 per month: £200

Leaves £700pcm for ALL savings, so holidays, Xmas, birthdays, emergency fund.

Like I say, we’re comfortable, but we absolutely watch every single penny and £84 a month is a lot to us! And not the lifestyle I would imagine if you told me what we earn. It’s just hard working full time, in a high pressure job, not seeing the kids.

Genuinely thinking of leaving the SW, buying a cheap house, and taking a part time job as I’d be less stressed, see the kids more and be about the same per month!

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

CheeseIsMyIdol · 26/11/2025 14:34

sprigatito · 26/11/2025 13:55

Taxation isn’t “hate”, fgs. It’s society.

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When does the other half of society start making better choices and paying their share?

Flavourful81 · 26/11/2025 14:33

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Bellsbeachwaves · 26/11/2025 14:32

£2500 mortgage payments 😱

Mildura · 26/11/2025 14:32

lifeonthelane · 26/11/2025 14:29

I was just about to say this. I appreciate your frustrations - but you are definitely both higher earners.

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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.

TillyTrifle · 26/11/2025 14:32

Crambino · 26/11/2025 14:25

Your choice to take on a ‘mahoosive mortgage’ and pay school fees, these are privileges not entitlements 🤷‍♀️
Not much sympathy here, sorry 🎻

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.

EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 26/11/2025 14:32

I’m sure we are going to be hit hard in this budget also. I need to find one of those calculator things.

BIossomtoes · 26/11/2025 14:32

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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My house is Band F, worth nowhere near £2 million either and neither of us will be paying the surcharge. It’s not an unknown, it’s a certainty.

Doggielovecharlotte · 26/11/2025 14:31

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Ridiculous post

CornishGem1975 · 26/11/2025 14:31

Teddleshon1 · 26/11/2025 14:19

Just ignore the comments on this thread OP, well done on working hard and being net contributors. An increasingly rare thing in the UK.

Absolutely. This budget doesn't not encourage people to work hard, what's the point? Work hard, get more taken off you. Let's not encourage saving or preparing for retirement either. Lets tax you again and again and again on the SAME money you've already been taxed on.

And I also have an end terrace F band home for those who want to whine and get out their tiny violins 🙄 It's worth about £500k, 4 bedroom but I guess it's the area. Hardly a bloody mansion, that I already pay £3,300 a year on council tax and a service charge from a maintenance company. We are not rich. We can't keep sucking up more pain.

Should have never worked and popped out a few extra kids by the sounds of it!

Bellsbeachwaves · 26/11/2025 14:31

Slothisavirtue · 26/11/2025 14:26

I mentioned this on another thread. I earn £60k yet have the same net income as a fellow single mother with the same number of children who works 16 hours a week and gets tax credits (no DLA/PIP etc, just basic credits for working PT even though she has been offered full time work)

And I don't have any student loan deductions so someone else on the same salary may be worse off

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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

MasterBeth · 26/11/2025 14:31

Mushroo · 26/11/2025 13:55

Nursery atm and then may continue to private (may not).

As I said, we are comfortable, but less and less so and far less than I thought we would be on our salaries.

We pay a lot into pensions because it’s a responsible thing to do for higher earners, we’d be labelled idiots if we didn’t. (And DH is public sector so has no choice really).

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Hang on a minute. One minute you're middle income, now you are higher earners.

You are comfortably within the top 10% of households.

Flavourful81 · 26/11/2025 14:31

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BringBackCatsEyes · 26/11/2025 14:31

You have not been rinsed and you are not middle earners.

I hope more children are able to come out of poverty.

Nickyknackered · 26/11/2025 14:30

Itsaknockout235 · 26/11/2025 14:11

Watch how this thread fills up with ‘Be gratfeul you’ve got a shirt on your back! Have you got a pot to pee in? If yes, you’re privileged then’

The only time these comments will stop is when all earners, regardless of their hard work, higher education level and greater work-related responsibilities (which triangulate into a higher salary), are reduced to mere homeless wretches.

No, they need to just stop whinging that they're poor when they aren't.

Original poster
Mushroo · 26/11/2025 14:30

TillyTrifle · 26/11/2025 14:25

As I understand it they will identify the homes worth £2million plus by re-valuing all band F, G and H homes for the first time since 1991. While many of those won’t be worth £2million (certainly where I live there are plenty of Band F homes worth under 1 million, the re-valuation hanging overhead could make potential buyers of those homes pause and wonder things like is it going to be re-banded to G which there have been lots of rumours about doubling council tax for? I think it’s just generally uncertainty about whether anything will change for those properties as a result which might make owners or potential owners nervous and make them harder to sell.

I think, I may be wrong!

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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.

OP posts: