Autumn Budget 2025 Action Plan: What to Do Next
The Budget has landed, and some of the biggest changes are the quiet ones. The bits that don’t make the front page are often the ones that creep into your payslip, your savings, and your long-term plans.
So here’s your Women’s Wealth version: a simple, female-focused action plan for those of us who are working, raising families, and trying to build a life that feels secure.
Do this now (next 1–2 weeks)
1) Check where your pay sits against the tax bands.
If you’re anywhere near £50k or £100k, a promotion or pay rise could push more of your income into higher tax without you noticing.
Next move: look at your latest payslip and your expected annual salary. If you’re close to a threshold, planning matters.
2) Give your “buffer” a quick health check.
Energy bills are easing a bit, but thresholds staying frozen means household costs will still feel tight over time.
Next move: aim for a small top-up to your emergency fund (even £25–£50/month). Cash is still the right tool for this job.
3) If you invest outside ISAs/pensions, note your dividend/savings income.
Tax on dividends and savings is going up, so it helps to know what you’re earning outside wrappers.
Next move: find last year’s dividend total / savings interest on your bank or platform statement.
Check where your pay sits against the tax bands.
Before April 2026
4) If you’ve got 3+ children, re-run your benefit picture. The two-child limit goes, which could mean more support from April.
Next move: put a reminder in for March 2026 to check your Child Benefit entitlement and claim if needed.
5) Review any LTD company or side-income plans. Dividend tax rises from April 2026.
Next move: if you pay yourself dividends, speak to your accountant about timing and ISA/pension alternatives.
Before April 2027
6) Use your Cash ISA allowance while it’s still £20k.
From April 2027, the cash part drops to £12k.
Next move: if cash ISAs are your main savings home, consider:
• topping up cash ISA over the next two tax years, and/or
• splitting future saving between cash (for short-term goals) and investing (for long-term).
No pressure to invest everything, just match the tool to the goal.
7) Landlord or “accidental landlord”? check your numbers.
Property income will be taxed more heavily from April 2027 in England.
Next move: run a simple “profit after tax” check for your rental. If it’s tight already, you may want advice on whether to hold, sell, or restructure.
8) If you’re thinking about inheritance/legacy, update your plan.
IHT bands stay frozen and pensions fall into IHT from 2027.
Next move: if you have a pension and grown-up kids/beneficiaries, check your beneficiary nomination is up to date.
Longer term (2028–2029)
9) Salary sacrifice users: plan for the NIC cap coming in 2029.
Still a great route, just less generous above £2k NIC-free.
Next move: if you’re using salary sacrifice to catch up on pension gaps, keep going, but we’ll revisit your approach closer to 2029.
10) High-value home owners: park this for now, note the date.
The £2m+ council tax surcharge lands in 2028.
Next move: if this could be you (or your parents), flag it for future planning, no urgent action today.
FAQ’s
Does Budget 2025 affect women differently?
Yes, it really can. Women in their late 30s, 40s and early 50s are often juggling peak costs (kids, housing, ageing parents) at the same time as trying to rebuild savings and pensions after time out. So changes to tax thresholds, ISAs and pensions tend to land harder in this part of life.
What’s the biggest Budget 2025 change for working women?
The frozen income tax thresholds. It’s the one most of us will feel. If your pay goes up over the next few years, more of it may be taxed at higher rates, even if you don’t feel any better off month to month.
Should I stop using a Cash ISA now the limit is changing?
No, please don’t. Cash still has a proper job to do: emergency savings, short-term goals, peace of mind. The change just means it’s worth thinking about what money needs to stay safe and handy, and what money is for longer-term growth.
What should I do if I’m near £50k or £100k?
Don’t panic, just don’t ignore it. Those two numbers are big “jump points” in the tax system, and with thresholds frozen, it’s easier to drift over them without realising. A quick check on your expected annual pay (and how you’re using pensions/benefits/allowances) can make a real difference to what you actually take home. And if you’d like a second pair of eyes on it, that’s exactly what we do on a free discovery call.