Cystic Fibrosis Trust calls on Chancellor to urgently address the key issues facing people with CF in this week’s Autumn Budget

David Ramsden, Chief Executive of Cystic Fibrosis Trust, said: "Cystic fibrosis is a lifelong, life-limiting condition without a cure that makes life too tough and too short for too many. That’s why we’re urging the Chancellor to show support for people with CF in this week’s Autumn Budget. 

“The Budget must address cost of living pressures, ensure the benefits system understands and supports people with CF, and go further than last week’s promise to freeze prescription charges by making them free for all those with the condition.”

Ahead of the Budget, we’ve written to the Chancellor to highlight four key areas where government action could make a real difference for people with CF and their families.

1. Addressing the rising cost of living with CF

Living with CF is expensive. Extra costs to stay well, coupled with lost income, mean a typical household with CF will lose more than £7,000 a year.

Our 2025 Your Life and CF report shows families affected by CF are more likely to experience financial hardship compared to the general UK population. 

• 24% of adults with CF say they constantly struggle to meet monthly bills.

• 35% of parents of children with CF report the same.

We want the Government to:

• introduce an energy social tariff so those with CF can afford to stay warm

• review the prescription charge exemption list so everyone with CF across the UK has free prescriptions 

• cut the costs of hospital visits by removing car park fees and introducing a travel card

• reform Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) to make it work better for fluctuating conditions like CF.

2. Reforming welfare support so it works for people with CF

In 2023, 1 in 5 people with CF were receiving Universal Credit (UC) – but it still isn’t enough to cover the basics.

We regularly provide welfare support to people with CF whose Personal Independent Payment (PIP) applications have been rejected. Shockingly, almost all (over 95%) of the PIP decisions we challenge are overturned at appeal, highlighting gross inadequacies within the system.

We’ve asked the Chancellor to:

• reform PIP, so complex cases such as CF are assessed correctly the first time 

• adopt the Universal Credit Essentials Guarantee, ensuring UC is enough to cover everyday essentials

• rethink suggested changes to UC, including cuts to the health element and removing eligibility for under-22s.

3. Protecting CF care in a changing NHS landscape

CF is a lifelong, life-limiting condition without a cure. It’s vital that everyone with CF receives the care and support they need. Our recent CF workforce survey highlights the pressures CF teams are under. 

We’re calling on the Government to ensure that: 

• CF services are fully staffed and properly resourced, so everyone with CF gets the specialist care they need

• funding for specialised services like CF is protected as the NHS evolves.

4. Improving air quality and reducing pollution

Air pollution has a direct impact on the health of people with CF. 

We’re calling on the Government to:

• strengthen air quality standards and monitoring

• make air quality alerts accessible to everyone

• improve indoor air quality through stronger building codes and guidelines

• invest in air quality research to better protect people with CF. 

We’re here to help

If you’re worried about any aspect of CF, please speak to your CF team or contact our Helpline. 

Call 0300 373 1000 or 020 3795 2184, Monday–Friday 10am–4pm
Email [email protected]
Chat with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram
Message us on WhatsApp on 07361 582053

We won’t stop until everyone can live a life free from the limits of CF.