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Chancellor Announces £100 One-Off Payment for 20 Million Homes

By Drooid · Oct 28, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

Chancellor John Healey announced a one-off £100 payment for 20 million households with homes valued at £88,000 or less.
He said the gas standing charge will be scrapped, saving an average £45 per household annually.
Healey increased the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage by 3.9 % from April.
He allocated £432 million over two years to cut street homelessness, announced on 28 October 2026.

History

In 2008 the UK Labour government launched a £20 billion fiscal package—including tax cuts, a temporary VAT reduction and accelerated investment—to counter the Great Recession. The stimulus lifted demand but large bank bail-outs pushed the deficit to about £175 billion (12.4% of GDP) in 2009-10, limiting later discretionary spending. Healey’s 2026 £100 payment, gas-charge removal and wage rise echo that earlier focus on low-income households and energy costs.

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In 2008 the UK Labour government launched a £20 billion fiscal package—including tax cuts, a temporary VAT reduction and accelerated investment—to counter the Great Recession. The stimulus lifted demand but large bank bail-outs pushed the deficit to about £175 billion (12.4% of GDP) in 2009-10, limiting later discretionary spending. Healey’s 2026 £100 payment, gas-charge removal and wage rise echo that earlier focus on low-income households and energy costs.

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